


Serendipitous Healing

by Tygerrtygerr



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Slow Burn, but not really, cause they know, hana is best coffee girl ok, the blind date gone wrong au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2018-10-22 09:52:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10694574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tygerrtygerr/pseuds/Tygerrtygerr
Summary: A chance encounter at a restaurant leads to a journey in which both Fareeha and Angela realize they want all the things they didn't know they ever needed.





	1. Chapter 1

This was a terrible idea. 

 

Angela's fingers drummed in succession on the white tablecloth covered table anxiously. It has been nearly thirty five minutes was quickly making its way to forty five. 

 

Angela Ziegler is a doctor. A doctor who, according to her friend Lena, needed to start focusing on her love life. Angela always found herself submerged into her work for hours on end. There wasn't usually more than an hour that she wasn't doing some sort of medical work. Growing up was the same way and, as a result, the doctor found that she made little to no time for socializations. She had very little friends as she is always too busy to keep up the connections. Lena however has been her friend for as long as she could remember and she is the only friend to truly stick with her through it all. Even when Angela disappears for months at a time, focused on her work. Even though Angela replies to her texts three days late. Even though Angela didn't put as much effort into their friendship as she clearly does. Honestly, for that Angela is more than grateful. Lena is the best best friend she could ever ask for. 

 

And it is because of this best best friend that she finds herself in the predicament she is in now. Here sits the good doctor at a table in a pretty fancy looking restaurant as she waits for some mystery date that Lena had set up for her. This mystery person, however, has still yet to show up. Lena had told her the reservations at the restaurant were for eight and it was quickly approaching nine by now. Angela even put some thorough thought into her outfit as to not disappoint her best friend or her mystery date, a deep red dress and a long cream colored cadigan **.**

 

Angela reaches into her purse to check her phone. 

 

**8:40 P.M.**

 

She frowns at the bold text of the clock and the lack of messages from Lena or her potential date that greets her. Sitting here alone at this table has her anxiety levels skyrocketing. Her table was placed smack in the middle of the entire restaurant, the most visible and noticed spot of all. She noticed the other patrons occasionally glancing in her direction, looking over at the empty seat across from her in pity for being stood up. 

 

The thought made her mad. 

 

Yes, she was mostly quiet and soft spoken around strangers, but despite it she is still a very proud person. Most doctors usually are; and she found her pride taking a sharp hit under the scrutiny of the other patrons’ gaze. 

 

She was starting to feel a bit aggravated. 

 

Angela took a sip from her water as she came to her decision. She gently placed the glass back down onto the table. She will wait until exactly nine o'clock, at which time she will leave whether they come or not. Nine o clock. No earlier, no later. 

 

\---

 

The roaring sound of a motorcycle calmed down to a stop as the rider pulled up to the front of the restaurant. The rider swiftly pulled their helmet off revealing nicely tanned skin. She shook her head to air out her hair after having it sit underneath the helmet for so long. The golden beads ordinated in black locks of hair rattled as she did so. The woman dismounted the bike as the valet, a young boy with brown hair, came over to her. 

 

“Captain! Fancy seeing you here all of a sudden,” greeted the valet with a mock salute, clearly familiar with the woman before him. 

 

A hand pressed down hard on top of his head as the rider ruffled the valet’s hair. “Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that, kid” she replied with a grin as the boy grimaced at her harsh ruffling of his hair. 

 

“Alright, alright!” 

 

The woman stopped her administrations at the sound of his surrender, before tossing him the keys to her bike. At that his face lit up brighter than the headlights on the bike. She didn't need valet parking at all but she liked to give the kid an excuse to drive her motorcycle, knowing of his fascination with bikes. 

 

“Take good care of her now,” she warns as she watches him excitedly climb into the saddle. He replies something reassuring and she leaves it at that as she opens the doors to the restaurant. 

 

She's greeted with the light ambience that calms her immediately. This was her favorite restaurant. The atmosphere, the food; it was all top notch. The best part however was seeing one of her close buddies, who was a part of the waiting staff here. This particular restaurant also came with its perks as she in particular is usually granted a free meal or two on occasion. She always would protest, but the staff apparently really appreciated her. 

 

The woman walked up the person currently standing at the check in counter. His face warmed as he recognized her, dropping some of the formal charade. “Why if it isn't Fareeha Amari. To what do we owe the pleasure?”

 

Fareeha rested both elbows on the counter as she greeted him. “Hey, Marty. Is Lucio in tonight?”

 

“Yeah I think he's on break in the back. I'll call for someone to have him come out for you.”

 

Fareeha nodded in thanks as the man picked up the phone to call for her friend. She switched her stance to leaning on one elbow propped up on the counter as she turned to look out into the dining hall. Her eyes skimmed the dimly lit area as she took in the many happy faces amongst the crowd. As she continued her overseer of the many patrons her eyes landed on a woman sitting in the middle of the dining floor. 

 

It was in that moment it felt like time had stopped. 

 

There sitting at a table by her lonesome was a beauty if Fareeha had ever seen one. With shining gold locks and a face that could only be created by the gods, Fareeha found herself captivated. Her eyes narrowed however when she assessed the scene closer, taking note of the empty seat in front of the woman and the lack of any plates on the table. She studied the blonde's face and saw there in her eyes for a brief second a sharp glimmer before a hand went up to wipe at vibrant blue eyes. 

 

She was so caught up in her study of the other woman she didn't even hear Marty calling her name. 

 

“Amari!”

 

A flick to the side of her head brought her attention back down to earth. She didn't even acknowledge his use of her surname, something she doesn't like mentioned in public. Immediately she turned to the man before her in question. “Who is that woman out there?” she asked as she nodded her head in the general direction of the table. 

 

The waiter sighed. “Ah her. Poor thing had reservations for two at eight today. She's been waiting for the other person ever since.”

 

Fareeha frowned. She looked at the golden watch on her wrist. 

 

**8:50 P.M.**

 

It has almost been an hour. 

 

“Did whoever she's waiting for call late or anything like that?”

 

A solemn shake of his head made Fareeha's frown deepen. The sight of that woman sitting all alone irked her to no end. How could anyone stand up such a beautiful woman? She sympathized with the woman who's time was certainly being wasted. The woman who eventually would just get up and leave, having to walk that ‘walk of shame’ to the door as everyone in the room acknowledges that she's been stood up. Subconsciously Fareeha's hand balled into a fist. It was then that Lucio finally made his appearance, a relatively small young man dressed in restaraunt required attire, a white button down and black vest with bow tie. His long dreadlocks were tied into the fanciest looking man bun he could manage. 

 

His greeting to her was drowned out as she took in his attire and then looked down at her own attire, a white v-neck t-shirt under her leather biker jacket with black jeans and boots. She then turned her attention back to the blonde woman before looking back at herself and then back at Lucio. 

 

“-eeha, are you okay?”

 

Fareeha's brown eyes met Lucio’s as she brought herself to a decision. There was no way she could leave such a pretty lady like that all by herself. It would be a great disservice.  

 

“Guys. Do you think you have an extra white blouse and vest laying around in my size?”

 

Marty, the taller of the two men, spoke first. “I think I have an extra uniform laying around in the locker room…”

 

Both of the guys were totally confused. 

 

“Great. Let me borrow it,” she said, taking one last look out at the woman sitting by herself with a grin on her face. “I've got myself a date tonight.”

 

\---

 

**8:59 P.M.**

 

Angela sighed as she took one last look at her cell. Still no texts. No missed calls. And it was just about nine o'clock. 

 

Why did she ever think this was a good idea?

 

She could feel the tears fighting to break free behind her eyelids. She didn't know why she felt like crying, especially considering she didn't even know who was supposed to be meeting her here. Maybe it was because, somehow, she ended up hactually looking forward to it. Maybe it was because she actually does feel lonely amongst all her work and the thought of someone else other than Lena to share her time with made her excited. 

 

With all these thoughts swimming around her head she didn't even notice the single tear that managed to escape, falling down to stain her dress just as the grandfather clock in the back of the dining hall chimed to signal the new hour. 

 

**9:00 P.M.**

 

“Is this seat taken?”

 

Angela's head snapped up at the sound of this unknown voice. Standing in front of her, gesturing to the chair across from her was an illuminating light. The woman standing before her she could think of no words to describe her other than a goddess. Her eyes roamed up her form taking in her outfit. Black jeans with a white blouse tucked into them, covered by a well fitted black blazer topped with black bow tie. Her hair was tied back into a short ponytail with a few locks adorning the sides of her face, some astray but the majority held in place by stunning gold ornaments. She also had a tattoo under her right eye?

 

Oh dear.

 

Realizing that she was staring, her face set aflame with red. She quickly lowered her head in hopes that the other woman wouldn't see. 

 

“Uh n-no, please, I’m glad that you made it,” she stammered.

 

Fareeha smiled and sat herself in the empty chair, unbuttoning the the top button of the two button blazer she wore. Thankfully that guy Marty had this old thing laying around the dressing room back from when the restaurant required blazers instead of vests. She was relieved she didn't have to show up looking like one of the waiting staff. The bowtie was courtesy of Lucio. Once finally seated comfortable she extended a hand out to the blonde across from her. “I’m Fareeha. Its nice to meet you.”

 

Angela met her hand with her own and instantly regretted it. Her hands were so soft. A slight shiver rolled through her body from the contact. 

 

“Angela. I’m Angela,” she fumbled. She was nervous. Why was she nervous? Is this really who Lena had set her up with? She didn't even know her best friend had friends that looked this good! However, for her to be this late, there must've been something that had set her back. “Is everything alright, though? You’re awfully late.. I was starting to worry you wouldn't come...:”

 

This caught Fareeha off guard, but she was quickly able to put the pieces together. Angela had greeted her before as if she was the person she was waiting for, even though she wasn't. This could only mean this was a blind date set up by a third party…

 

This was going to turn out better than she could ever imagine.

 

“Ah, yes, sorry about that. I ran into some trouble at work.”

 

“Oh, what do you do at work?”

 

Fuck. Maybe she hadn’t thought this through.

 

Thankfully at that exact moment their water came to take orders. Lucio tried to suppress a smirk as he looked over his friend. As Angela ordered, she thought over how she was going to play this scenario out. How much about herself would she tell this woman and how much of would she make up? Should she even make anything up?? Glancing over at Angela as she asked about menu items, she once again caught those bright blue eyes in her sights. How could she even think of doing such a thing? 

 

“-and for you… Miss?”

 

Fareeha tried not to glare at Lucio for the title. He was certainly going to enjoy this as well. “I’ll have my usual, if you would be so kind,” she said with a smirk. In reality, she had no usual, and Lucio knew she had no usual, but she did always want to order like that during a date. If she was gonna go, she might as well go all the way. Thankfully, Lucio understood and nodded as he wrote an order into his notepad. 

 

She almost missed the devilish smirk on his face as he walked away.

 

Dear lord, she hopes he doesn't bring her out something horrid.

 

“So you’re a regular here then?”’

 

Her attention turned back to the stunning woman before her. She propped her elbow on the table to support her head as she leaned into her hand. “Something like that,” she replied with a confident smirk. 

 

Angela smiled. “So what is it that you do again?”

 

“I'm an independent contractor,” she replied. She considered that the easiest way to describe what it is she does now. It wasn't a lie because she was, but she definitely left out some of the more important details. “And what about you Angela? What do you do?” she asked with a purr, resting her other elbow on the table as she leaned in towards the other woman. 

 

Angela had to take a sip from her now refilled glass of water. “I-I'm just a doctor. “

 

God she was so easily flustered. But honestly how could she not be. Fareehas presence alone was calmly domineering in a way that wasn't intimidating, but you couldn't help but feel her presence constantly. It was slightly overbearing, but in a nice way. 

 

At her reply, Fareeha raised her brows in surprise. “ _ Just  _ a doctor? Don't play yourself short like that, my dear.” Angela blushed at the term of endearment. “Not  _ just  _ anyone can become a doctor. You must be an  _ incredibly _ smart young lady.”

 

Young. Angela could laugh at the word alone. She was quickly approaching her mid 30s with every passing day. Combine that with the huge workloads she goes through... rarely did she ever feel  _ young _ . 

 

“Fareeha, you flatter me.” 

 

Now it was her turn to feel flustered, hearing Angela speak her name for the first time. It sounded nice, the way it rolled off the tongue coated in that accent of hers. She'd have to ask where she was from sometime. 

 

“You do give off a doctorly vibe,” she teased. “I bet that white coat looks stunning on you.” Fareeha smirked at the slight tinge of color on the others cheeks. She took a sip from her glass of water. “Mhmm, Doctor Angela…” 

 

Catching on to where she was going, Angela answered her unspoken question. “...Ziegler,” she answered hesitantly. She wasn't sure how wise it was to give her title out to someone she literally just met, but something about the other woman made her feel safe. Comfortable even. 

 

“Dr. Angela Ziegler,” she exclaimed. “You must be a great doctor.”

 

“And what makes you say that?” 

 

By now, most of the nervousness Angela was feeling before was non existent.

 

“You basically announce it yourself. ‘A’ is a letter that exerts power. It's the first letter of the alphabet. ‘Z’ is the same way. Angela Ziegler. It's a powerful name.”

 

“I bet you just made that up right now…”

 

Fareeha smirked. “Well the alphabet thing yeah,” she admitted with a small laugh. “But… “ Her eyes locked onto Angela's and the doctor could see through her eyes how serious she had gotten all of a sudden. “Your name does indeed have a… weight to it.”

 

Angela wanted to ask her to elaborate but it was at that moment that Lucio returned with their food. He placed a roasted duck dish in front Angela, garnished with fresh vegetables and a dark sauce. Fareeha got a little nervous as she waited for Lucio to lift the metallic cover from her own dish. Her racing heartbeat calmed when he lifted the lid and underneath was a juicy steak with baked potato and veggies. She almost visually sighed in relief, thankful he didn't present her with something he knew she wouldn't like. 

 

“Is there anything else I can get for you two ladies?” Lucio asked, sending a look towards Fareeha who had already started cutting into her steak. She did originally come here to eat after all. She was starving. 

 

Angela politely declined, more or less content with her serving of food. Lucio looked once more towards the other woman, gesturing with his face towards the two empty wine glasses as discreetly as he could. At that Fareeha finally grasped what he was trying to get at. “Ah, actually could we get a bottle of your finest... wine?”

 

Lucio let out a silent sigh. The way she questioned her own question definitely shaved off some points for her execution, but he was glad his friend could figure out what he was hinting at. He'd have to teach Fareeha proper dating etiquette some time…

 

At the sound of wine Angela perked up. She did enjoy herself a good glass or two of a nice red wine. Sometimes three. 

 

With that settled, Lucio offered to bring out one of their best bottles of red wine to compliment their meal. 

 

“You know, Fareeha, I don’t take you much for a wine drinker.”

 

“Mhmm, and what makes you say that?” She mocked the doctor’s words from earlier.

 

The doctor placed a finger to the side of her temple as she spoke, “Doctor’s intuition, of course.”

 

Ha. Good one.

 

After the wine was brought out, the two ate their meals mostly in silence. It was not, however an awkward silence. It was very soothing, to say the least. Every so often Fareeha would make a teasing comment or compliment towards Angela, enjoying how easy it was to make her flustered. Angela on the other hand was thoroughly enjoying the unexpected turn her night was currently taking. Here she had went from almost getting stood up to a date with the most beautiful woman on earth. If that wasn't a plot twist, than she didn’t know what was. It was such a good night she had herself, not two, but three glasses of wine, literally becoming lost in the sauce as they discussed their favorite parts of the meal. And, she would have gone for a fourth glass, but as she went to reach for the bottle it was suddenly swept away from her in a blindingly quick motion.

 

“Oh no you don’t, Doctor,” she teased, holding the bottle out of her reach. Glancing at her watch, she decided now would be a good time to go.The food was great as usually and they both had completely devoured their meals. Angela was clearly slightly out of it, but a good night time walk back to her house would do her good. She decided to let this be a lesson, as wine was apparently kryptonite to the small blonde before her. If alone she probably would have drank the whole bottle…

 

Fareeha beckoned one of the waiters over with a nod of her head. She was unsure where Lucio went, but she could meet up with him at any time. Taking in her surroundings for the first time since she sat down, she noticed the restaurant was nearly empty. A slight frown made its way to her face when she realized how focused her attention was on the woman before her that she hadn’t even noticed an entire room empty itself. As the waiter arrived she reached into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out her wallet.

 

“Hey man, I don't know how much all this is but,” she pulled out a couple of large bills from the leather wallet. “This should be more than enough for everything. Keep the rest as tip.”

 

The man stared wide eyed at the large amount of money Fareeha casually pulled out of her wallet. Most of the wait staff new her as a regular around here, but thanks to them constantly hooking her up with free meals she rarely ever paid a bill. She did always leave a hefty tip in return though. And she will make sure to leave an even heftier one for today. After settling things with the waiter she turned to find Angela finishing another glass of wine.  _ Her _ glass of wine… Yup, definitely time to get going.

 

Before she could stand up to prepare to go, she felt a hand on top of hers resting on the table. 

 

The feeling sent a jolt up the core of her spine. She almost,  _ almost _ , pulled her hand back as an initial reaction. It definitely startled her. This was not how her hand felt on her skin earlier when they shook hands. No, not at all.

 

“Fffreehaa.”

 

She had to admit, the way she drunkenly slurred her name sounded a little too hot for comfort.

 

Angela tugged on her hand a little as if asking for her full complete attention. Sitting back down fully into her seat, Fareeha turned to give her what she wanted, brown eyes meeting blue. The doctor was rather buzzed, but somehow Fareeha knew she could handle her own.

 

“Fareeeha. Thank you... for tonight.” 

 

Sincere. Yes, she was a bit tipsy. Yes, she slurred the ‘e’ in her name a tad bit too long. But, it was a sincere thank you. Fareeha took in the look of contentment on her face and compared it to those sad eyes she remembered from earlier. 

 

This was certainly a better look.

 

She was glad she sat in this chair tonight.

 

Before she realized it, she was leaning over the table to brush the hair away from the side of Angela’s face. She got that same jolting sensation from before. Her hand rested on the side of her face, their eyes still gazing into the others’. She smiled. “The night isn't over yet, Angela.”

 

\--

 

The two left the restaurant together and soon found themselves walking at a leisurely pace back to Angela's apartment. Apparently she lived relatively close by so Fareeha resorted to walking her home instead of taking her bike. The doctor was walking off her fair share of wine, but she was definitely still feeling it. 

 

They walked side by side, Angela clinging onto Fareeha’s left arm with her head resting on her shoulder. Mostly because she wanted to make sure she walked in a straight line, but also because she was feeling some minor exhaustion. Occasionally she would close her eyes in rest, somehow having the utmost confidence that the woman next to her would take care of her. It felt nice. She could almost fall asleep. 

 

Sooner than she had expected they arrived in the front of Angela's building. The night would be drawing to a close, but she didn't want it to ever end. 

 

Fareeha came to a stop once they reached the front door to the building. Angela searched through her purse for the keys to the door. Would this be where they say goodbye?

 

Once she found the keys she opened the door, pulling it open and leaning her back against it as it swung back to close. She turned towards Fareeha, still rooted to the spot she stopped at a few steps away from the entrance. She outstretched a hand towards her. “Walk me to my door?”

 

A small smile, and their hands met as Fareeha followed her into the building. Their fingers remained intertwined as they boarded the elevator to upstairs. The walk to Angela's door was all too short and, alas, it was time to finally part ways. Angela turned so she stood face to face with Fareeha. She didn't want the other woman to go. She decides to see how far she could push. 

 

“Do you want to come inside?”

 

It was a bold move, inviting her inside when they literally met no more than three hours ago. But she hadn’t had such a good time with anyone in so  _ so _ long. Her question was quickly followed by an uncontrollable yawn however, leading to a quiet laugh from the tanned woman in front of her. “Maybe next time, Dr. Ziegler,” she replied with a sympathetic smile. 

 

Angela met her eyes again, acknowledging the symbol tattooed under her eye. She never did ask about it. But her mind played back the words the other woman just spoke to her. 

 

_ Next time.  _

 

It was time for farewell but this goodbye was starting to feel awkward for the tired woman. She cleared her throat. “W-well. Thanks you, again for tonight, Fareeha. You were wonderful company.” Unsure of what would and wouldn't be appropriate, the doctor settled for an outstretched hand. The dark haired woman raised an eyebrow but grabbed her hand regardless in a firm shake. The next thing she knew she was engulfed in the scent of Fareeha, the woman having reeled her into an embrace. 

 

_ Oh. _

 

She couldn't help but notice that her head fit perfectly into the crook of the taller woman's neck. All too soon Fareeha pulled apart to more clearly view her face, and her hand once more found its place on the side of her face, brown eyes bore directly into blue. “Angela. Thank you for having me tonight. It was truly a pleasure to meet you.” She stepped forward to press her lips to the top of Angela's head. She lingered for a little longer than Angela had thought she would, before the warm hand on her face was suddenly gone and the soothing scent that surrounded her vanished. “Sleep well, Dr. Ziegler,” she bid farewell with a smirk which Angela returned at the casual use of her official handle. 

 

The taller woman turned to walk away, taking a few steps before her hand was grabbed, pulling her back.

 

“See you next time?”

 

The question was posed towards her as she turned around. Just four words posed as an innocent question. But it was also a confirmation, a plea, and a promise. Angela knew as much, and Fareeha knew it too. There was a light, brief squeeze of the smaller hand in hers before they fell apart. A reassurance. 

 

“See you next time.”


	2. Chapter 2

That next morning, Angela awoke in brighter spirits than she ever had in her life. Know this; the doctor was  _ not _ a morning person at all. If she were to wake up in the morning it was going to be by 10 A.M. the earliest, and that's only because of work. She worked very hard to get her particular schedule at work, where her shifts start no earlier than 12 in the afternoon, and even that was a little too early for her on some days. Work aside, she could sleep in forever. On this particular morning however, Angela found she woke up with far more energy than usual. A glance at the clock on the nightstand and the numbers that greeted her in the bold red of the LED light forced her to search the sea of blankets for her phone to confirm whether those numbers were correct. Finally finding it somewhere underneath her, she wakes the screen and a hand is brought up to cover her mouth from an incoming yawn. In bold white text right in front of the default cell phone wallpaper that she hasn't bothered to change read: 8:37 A.M. She was definitely up earlier than she was used to, but oddly enough she wasn't the slightest bit tired. 

 

Her mind drifts to the events of last night and an uncontrollable smile plasters itself to her face. Last night was one of the best nights she had in a while, which isn't saying much as usually her nights are spent at work or at home. Regardless, it was definitely a night to remember. Fareeha had been such wonderful company. The whole time they had spent together Angela couldn't ignore this gnawing feeling in the back of her mind that it was all just so  _ right.  _ A hand subconsciously ghosted up to touch the side of her face where Fareeha had held her last night. She blushed at the memory of how forward the other woman had been. She blushed even harder at the thought of how things would have played out had the other woman accepted her invite into her home. She barely even knew the woman either, and she didn't even ask much about her either. She also didn't even get her number. Angela made a mental note to request her contact information from Lena when she stopped by to thank her for everything later today. 

 

Since she was up earlier than usual she figured she could make herself breakfast, something hasn't done in a while. The blonde stretched outwards in her bed, letting out a quiet squeal as she did so before finally sitting up. On her way to the kitchen she was reminded that she might not even have ingredients to make breakfast as she usually doesn't eat breakfast and always brings home take-out for dinner. Her first task however was to put on a pot of coffee. Still feeling the high from her date last night or not, she still needed her morning fix. As the coffee was brewing she took a peek inside her fridge. 

 

It was empty. More barren than the driest of deserts. 

 

There was however a carton of eggs in there with precisely one egg inside so she decided she could work with that. There was also an avocado on her counter she had gotten from one of her neighbors. It was finally ripe enough to eat. Her eyes scanned her kitchen for a staple to hold it all together and she found it in the almost gone loaf of bread in the bread box. Hopeful, she opened the box, but alas there were only the end pieces. It would have to suffice. In a matter of minutes she had fried up the egg and toasted the bread, arranging them in a plate toast first with egg on top. She cut into the avocado and placed four slices atop egg. Salt and pepper were added for the finishing touch. Some sriracha sauce would have gone nicely but alas, she had nothing. The doctor made a mental note to go food shopping at some point in time. 

 

By then the coffee was finished brewing. Angela fished her favorite mug out from the cabinets. It was a mug that read “trust me I'm a doctor” except the word “almost” was scribbled in between with permanent marker. It was a gift from Lena before she had graduated from medical school. She always smiles at the memory. 

 

With a fresh cup a coffee and a kinda-still-hot-but-edging-into-lukewarm plate of breakfast, Angela took a seat at the glass dining table outside of her kitchen. Once seated she sighed in content. When was the last time she even sat at this table? Well for anything that wasn't doing work that is… Usually she would just eat on the sofa. Sitting at the table was not something she like to do by herself if there was a meal involved. It just sparked a bad feeling within her, something she couldn't quite explain. That feeling had yet to arrive as of yet as she sliced another piece of avocado egg-wich to fork into her mouth. With a hum her thoughts began to wander. There was a brief moment where she was sure she imagine Fareeha sitting in the seat across from hers, watching her eat with those luscious brown eyes of hers. Angela smiled at the thought. Every other thought she had features the tall, tanned woman in some way or another. She hasn't been this much of a gay disaster in so long she wasn't quite used to the feelings the thought of the other woman stirred in her. And that was just after one meeting. She could only imagine the next time they meet up, remembering their unspoken promise from just a few hours ago. With breakfast finished Angela went about her usual daily routine in preparation for her day, at which point time flew by rather quick and she was soon walking out the door for her morning walk to work. 

 

\--

 

An important pit stop before Angela got to work was to always stop at the small cafe across the street for a cup of coffee. The cup she had at home was nice, but this cafe definitely made the most wonderful tasting coffee. It was a small shop with large glass windows and a small awning that simple read “Cafè”. There were two small tables outside with accompanying umbrellas for those sunny days. Inside wasn't much too large either, with approximately five small tables at max. Many of their customers however were the medical staff from the hospital so it wasn't unusual to see a majority of people take their orders to go. When she opened the front door a small bell on the top of the frame chimed to signal her arrival. Out from the back came a young girl, most likely no older than 17, with long brown hair tied back into a slightly messy bun underneath her required cap. She greeted Angela with a wide smile. 

 

“Dr. Ziegler, good morning! You're here a little earlier than usual aren't you?”

 

Angela returned the smile to the young girl as she replies. “Good morning, Hana. I am here a tad earlier than usual. Oddly enough, I woke up before my alarm today.”

 

Hana hummed in acknowledgement, squinting her eyes as she looked over the doctor. Something which brought the latter to raise an eyebrow in question. “Hmm there's something different about you today, Doc.”

 

“Oh? How so?”

 

The girl made a face that looked like she was deep in thought before inevitably shrugging her shoulders in defeat. She just couldn't find the words to describe it. “Eh, I can't figure it out,” she gave up with a small laugh. “Anyway, are you gonna get your usual?”

 

“Yes, a large coffee, you know how I like it. But I'll skip out on the muffin today. I ate breakfast at home.”

 

“Coming right up!”

 

Angela smiled as she watched Hana make her order. She didn't know how the girl did it, but her coffee was the best thing she ever tasted. And while the shop has very good coffee in general, it was Hana who truly crafted the best coffee. When she ordered with other employees it never truly came out the same. It was one of her favorite mysteries. Soon enough Hana returned to the counter with her large cup of coffee. “One large coffee made specially for you, Doc.”

 

“Thank you, Hana.” As a custom she takes a sip to give feedback to the girl on how it came out. She has a pretty prideful nature, the doctor supposed, because it was imperative she know how the final result is. Angela let out a sigh of contentment after her taste test. Really, that girl could make a damn good coffee. “Hana, I don't know how you do it, but this coffee tastes better every time I come here.”

 

A triumphant smile from Hana, contagious so as Angela found herself smiling just as brightly back. “It's a little secret of mine, but I'm glad you enjoy it.”

 

Angela paid for her coffee and left Hana a generous tip as, she always does, before saying her goodbyes as she headed to work. Thankfully the day turned out to be a slow day with no surgeries or admitting of serious patients. She spent most of the day checking up on her current patients, checking their vitals and making sure they've received their necessary medications. After that she spent time working on paperwork in her office, one of her least favorite things to do. Before she even knew it, though, the work day was over. Halfway into the day she had sent Lena a text telling her she was going to visit after work. She was ecstatic to tell Lena about how her night went. About the odd connection she felt with Fareeha. About how she couldn't wait to see her again. By now she was all too familiar with the feeling of her cheeks heating up from the thoughts that have been occupying her mind. Thoughts that mostly revolve around a certain someone. 

 

Soon Angela arrived at Lena’s apartment. She picked up some Chinese takeout on the way there since it was just about dinner time and she was sure her best friend had no intentions on cooking. A few light knocks on the wooden door and surprisingly she received no answer. Angela knocked a little harder this time, balling her hand into a fist as she knocked with the bottom of her palm. This time she heard a faint sound from inside the door. In a few minutes she heard the click of the door being unlocked before it was slowly pulled open revealing a tired, disheveled looking Lena. “Hey Angie,” she greeted in a complete yawn. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “Come on in, I just woke up.”

 

Angela followed her into the small apartment and placed the bags of food on the dining table. “Lena. You're just now waking up? What have you been doing?”

 

“Well, you—”

 

“Leeeenaaaaaaaaaaaa, come back to beddd”

 

Both women turned to the direction of Lena’s open bedroom door where this new voice came from. Angela squinted her eyes at her best friend. “Hmm perhaps I should rephrase that question…”

 

“Shut it, Ang. I'll be right back.”

 

Angela waited as Lena entered her room to take care of her “business”. Eventually she came back out, a tall dark haired woman following behind her, barely awake. Barely clothed too. She watched Lena tell her something she didn't quite catch before she was directed out the door. 

 

“Looks like someone had a fun night yesterday.”

 

Lena frowned at Angela's growing smirk, before replacing it with a smirk of her own suddenly realizing why Angela was here. “I hope I can say the same for you, Angie.” The small woman closed the gap across the room in seconds. She took a seat at the table across from Angela who had began unpackaging the food. “Soooo, tell me all about it. How was it?”

 

“Lena,” she began. She already could feel herself getting all giddy just thinking about it. “It was truly wonderful. Thank you so much”

 

“Ha! I told you it would be a good time!”

 

“I kinda feel bad for doubting you. She's so beautiful, a literal gift from the heavens. She even walked me home- oh! And she was so bold! The first date and she wasn't afraid of physical contact at all.” Angela brought a hand to the side of her face in memory of her touch. She then proceeded to go on and on about her night for a few more minutes as Lena hungrily stuffed her mouth with white rice and vegetables, listening attentively. “—and I can't wait to see her again. I didn't get her number though, could I get it from you Lena?”

 

“Sure,” she replied once she swallowed the food in her mouth. She wiped away the rice that was stuck to her face. “My phone is in my room charging. It was dead when I woke up so sorry if you were calling.”

 

When Lena came back she was scrolling through all of her messages from the past night. Her walk back to the table was slow and there was a confused look on her face as she read through them. “Is there something wrong?”

 

A few more seconds of confused reading before she looked up from her phone. “Well… I have a ton of messages from Cristina telling me she wouldn't be able to make the date because of a family emergency?”

 

Angela blinked. “Who?”

 

They both had a moment where they stared at each other in silence. “Cristina is my pal from back in the day. The chick I set you with last night…”

 

“What.” The gears were turning in Angela's mind as she tried to make sense of what was happening. And then all of a sudden it made sense. “Your friend Cristina wouldn't also happen to go by the name Fareeha, would she?” It was a reach. A very far reach, but it didn't hurt to try. The slow shaking of Lena’s head in denial wasn't in the least unexpected. “Who did I go on a date with then?”

 

“I have no idea, but she sounds like quite the gal if she had the balls to sit herself at your table without even knowing the circumstances. I wouldn't even pull a stunt like that.”

 

Angela rolled her eyes at her best friend and took to thought. She knew Fareeha was too amazing to possibly be a friend of Lena's… “This is quite the turn of events.” Really though, she was just disappointed that it had now just become much harder to reach Fareeha at all.

 

As if reading her mind, Lena spoke up. “Well, hey at least you still had a great night and met a pretty lady right?” she shrugged. “You may not be able to  contact her but she did say she'd see you again right? I'm sure she'll pop up eventually.”

 

\--

 

An entire week passed in which Angela saw nor heard anything of Fareeha. The only place she knew where'd she could run into her was the restaurant they ate at and her apartment. She changed her walking route home so that she'd walk by the restaurant, just in case. She didn't want to just outright go in, but a whole week later and the strong desire to see her again urged her to go inside one day. 

 

After her shift at work she walked the same path she had been walking these past few days, except this time she stopped in front of the restaurant. She looked up to read the name on the awning before she walked inside. “The First Square”. She still didn’t understand the name. When she got inside she decided she should ask the man at the front desk. As she was heading there, however, she caught sight of the small guy with the dreads who waited their table that night. He seemed familiar enough with Fareeha at the time. Perhaps he would know something.

 

A small talk with the man in the front revealed that she would have to wait until the the waiter was on break before she could talk to him. He would not inform her when that would be though thanks to privacy issues, but he did inform the other man that she was waiting to speak to him. After that it was just up to her to wait. And wait she did. For what seemed like forever. The restaurant was certainly busy tonight. Angela watched as groups of people quickly filled the dining room, then the small waiting room where she sat as they waited to be seated. It was so busy, she was starting to question whether this guy would ever even get a small break. She received her answer once the crowd died down and people started to slowly trickle out of the restaurant. The time on her phone read 9:48 when she checked it. While putting her phone away is when she finally saw the man  she’d been waiting for turn a corner into the waiting room. She promptly stood up to greet him. He recognized her immediately.

 

“Hey! You’re the pretty lady from last week. I hope Ree didn’t cause you any trouble.”   
  


Angela smiled at the nickname. It was cute. But it also proved her correct in thinking the two knew each other. “She was no trouble at all, wonderful actually, but she  _ is  _ the reason why I’m here tonight.” They both take a seat on the sofa. “My name is Angela, by the way.”   
  


“Lucio,” he informed her as he offered a hand to shake. “What can I do for you, Angela?”

 

“Well, I’ve just been trying to figure out where Fareeha may be. It's been a week know since I last saw her. She told me she’d see me again, but it’s been so long. At this point I’m more so just hoping that she’s okay.”

 

“Ah don't you worry about her. She does tend to drop off the face of the earth randomly and without warning,” he laughed. “She always comes back though. And she told you she’d meet up with you again? Nothing to worry about then. She is a woman of her word. Just give her time to do whatever it is she needs to do.”

 

Angela nodded as she took in everything Lucio was saying. Listening to his words somehow made her a lot less anxious. Her worry was eased greatly. She smiled at him in return. Not only were his words reassuring but his presence was as well. He gave us a feeling of calmness. Angela couldn't help but think he must be an extremely nice guy. “Somehow, just like that you've lifted any doubts I've had, Lucio. You have a very nice energy about you. It's nice.”

 

“Ha, I do get that a lot. I'm just a chill guy enjoying life,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment at her compliments. “Speaking of enjoying life, you've been waiting for a while. You gotta be hungry, it's gotten so late. Let me grab you something you can take home.”

 

“Oh no that isn't necessary I can pick up something on the way home.”

 

“Aww nonsense, it's no problem at all. Besides, if Ree ever found out I left her little lady sitting out here starving, she'd have my head on a plate,” he laughed. Angela blushed at the implication of being her “little lady” as Lucio ran off to the back, presumably where the kitchen is. He came back with a plastic bag with a container of food inside of it. She gave him thanks when he handed her the bag. It was time for him to go back to work so they bid their farewells and Angela continued her walk back home. 

 

After that talk with Lucio, Angela felt more confident about the safety and inevitable return of the tanned woman, but that still didn't make her less impatient about it. A couple more days had passed in which Angela fell into her normal routine of working a little too much. She spent extra hours working on research for new vaccines after her shift and as a result wouldn't get home until around midnight. On one particular night, she had two back to back surgeries, each taking about three hours. She was exhausted. Yet, she still stayed a few more hours after to write up a research paper for her new vaccine. By the time she was finished, it was well past midnight. 

 

With a yawn, Angela stretched out in here office chair. She made sure to save her file before standing up from her seat, stretching once more. A faint rumbling sound reverberated throughout the room. It had been a while since she ate, having gotten lost in her work as usual. Walking the her office door, she traded her lab coat for the light, beige coat and red scarf hanging on the coat hook behind the door. It has been rather chilly outside these recent late nights. On her way downstairs she saw the nice man who buffers the floors every night, waving to him in goodnight. The automatic doors to the hospital's entrance opened and Angela wrapped her scarf around her neck to protect from the faint, cold breeze. She looked up into the clear night sky, acknowledging the moon’s shape, a habit she had picked up during these late nights. Tonight it was a full moon. She sighed in contentment, bringing her gaze back down. 

 

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of someone in one of the many benches lined up along the pathway to the hospital. She didn’t usually see others around when she left at night, so she walked forward with caution. A faint glimmer of gold from the reflection of the nearby street lamp caught her attention however, leading her to inspect this person a little closer.

 

_ It couldn't be… _

 

Her walk turned to a slow jog as she got within a better viewing range, and right then and there her suspicions were confirmed. Sitting on the bench with her arms folded across her chest, her head bowed as she dozed off, was the one person she had been dying to come across these past two weeks. 

 

Her voice was soft as she spoke, the beginnings of a faint smile on her face. “...Fareeha.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to be Fareeha-centric probably. Sorry for any potential grammar/spelling errors.
> 
> Also Angela's breakfast is a homage to my one buddy who eats the same thing for breakfast like every day lol


	3. Chapter 3

The doors to the elevator came to a close and the faint hum of the engine could be heard as it began its descent. The lone occupant of the small space released a sigh, her head against the wall behind her as she tilted her head back. Her hands held loosely into the railing that lined the walls. A vibrating from inside her jacket pocket brought her head back down. Tanned hands slid into the pocket to retrieve the device. It was vibrating in a repetitive pattern, a message presented on the screen.

 

**Job Incoming**

_Wedding Security_

_Est. Time Required: 6 Hours_

_Est. Pay: $800_

_Accept?/Decline?_

 

Not worth it.

 

Fareeha declined the offer and pocketed her phone as the elevator reached the lobby. Hands in her jacket pockets she began her walk down the empty streets. Her thoughts were continuously occupied with a particular blonde doctor. Tonight has certainly been a blessing, yet at the same time it had not gone as she had expected it would. She pulled a hand out of her pocket to hold against her chest. The subtle, rapid beating of her heart vibrated against it. The odd feeling she got in her stomach was still there. Butterflies?

 

Butterflies.

 

When was the last time someone had made her feel this way? It isn't like it's an unpleasant feeling either? It certainly wasn't something Fareeha expected as a result for today, though. Had she not felt it she would have accepted Angela's invitation into her home. Things may have went down a path she'd walked down countless times in the past. Many a times did she find herself waking every other morning in some random stranger's’ bed. Back then she was in more of a bad time then she was specifically in now. It had become problematic and was a time she was all too glad to leave behind her. Now she has a new problem that plagues her, however… Well, two if she decides to count the still present feeling in her center.

 

Her phone vibrates again as she finally reaches her destination, the restaurant. She pulls it out again to check the job offer on her screen. Her eyes skim through the text disappointed with what she reads. A faint jingle to her left catches her attention and her hand automatically shoots up to catch the keys thrown in her direction before they could collide into her face.

 

“Reflexes are as sharp as ever I see.” Turning to face the culprit she found Lucio walking toward her, finally free from cleaning duty. “I thought you'd be too busy tonight to make it back here, Ree,” he says with a wink. He offers his hand, a sign she knows well, as they perform their exactly three second bro-handshake.

 

“Please. I bet you were just hoping you'd get to drive the bike tonight,” she challenged, dangling the keys. They shared a short laugh. “But no, seriously. You know I'm not like that anymore.” She flicks him on the top of his head, but still smiles as she beckons him to follow her to the garage where her bike is.

 

“Alright, alright. I just find it hard to believe you _just_ had dinner and you _only_ walked this nice girl home and that's it.”

 

“I feel like you're making suggestions about who you think I am as a person. Am I gonna have to question our friendship thus far, Lucio?”

 

“What, no, Ree I'm just saying—”

 

“Saying what? What are you saying, Lucio?” The man flustered, trying to think of a way to fix the hole he was quickly digging himself into. A chuckle from the woman besides him snapped him out of his stupor though. That chuckle then transformed into full blown laughter. “Ah, I'm just messing with you,” she admits, patting the smaller man on the head, something she knew annoyed him thanks to their height difference. “I get what you're saying. I used to do some wild things back in the day to help me cope.”

 

It was then her phone, still in her hand, once again vibrated, the screen lighting up in a bright flash. She tried to dim it quickly so her friend wouldn't see, but in the dark if the night Lucio managed to catch the bold logo on the top of the screen. **Helix** . He frowned. “Mhmm, I see you're _still_ doing some wild things to help you cope.”

 

“Don't.”

 

Now she started to quicken her pace, knowing she had an advantage due to her longer legs. That doesn't deter our dread headed friend, however. “Come on, now. You told me you don't do that kind of work anymore, Fareeha.”

 

She doesn't respond, but he decides to drop it for now. He knows if he presses too much it would make her extra irritable. He also knows if he leaves it alone, she'll do all the things she knows she shouldn't. Lucio sighs, stopping briefly as Fareeha’s motorcycle came into view. Sometimes he was just too good of a friend.

 

The sound of the motorcycle engine revving up pulled him from his thoughts. Fareeha had backed it up so they could make a swift exit. As he took his seat behind her she reached around and dunked her helmet onto his head. He grumbled something under his breath as he adjusted it better. She put it on all backwards and everything… Once situated, however, he noticed she didn't have one for herself. She gave him a look however that told him not to go there so he settled for what it was. Typical Fareeha to put someone before she put herself.

 

The ride across town to Lucio’s place doesn't take too long, and soon they're pulling up to a quaint house in a small suburban area. The house was passed down from Lucio’s family, so while the travel to work was a hassle, it was convenient to not have to pay as much as rent as a city apartment would cost him. Pulling off the helmet he hands it to Fareeha who gives him a slight grin. “You know it's still not too late for me to get you that car you wanted.”

 

A small laugh. She's been discreetly offering to buy him a car ever since his own died on him, forcing him to rely on walking and public transport. He appreciated the gesture but a car is a lot of money, and while money apparently isn't an issue for her, he still feels like it's too extra. “Hmm. Maybe for my birthday,” he replies with his own matching grin.

 

“I'll hold you to that, frog boy.” He warms up at the use of his older nickname, then bids farewell as he turns to walk the path to his front door. Her sudden voice stops him in his tracks. “Lucio, wait.” She makes eye contact with him as she speaks her next few words. “Thanks for being my friend. Even through… everything.”

 

He finds himself walking back to the curb, stopping short of the bike. The tone of her voice as she said those words; she spoke heartfelt words of thanks, but inside them Lucio could hear an apology. He knew once again she was going to run off into danger even despite his words, and he was sure Fareeha knew that he understood that. Regardless, he smiles at her with saddened expression. “You can thank me by not causing me so much worry,” he says as he pulls her into as much of a hug as hey could get into with her sitting on the bike. “And I mean it, Ree, Helix isn't a good company. You shouldn't associate yourself with them.”

 

She sighs because she knows he's right. But she also knows she's going to do all the things he's telling her not to.

 

When she leaves Lucio to go home she gets another job request. This time for a two week long extraction and escort mission across the country. It was just the type of mission she's been waiting for, one that resembled most her missions from her army days. She accepts it immediately, knowing that people with the same mindset as her would be itching for a task like this as well. The debrief that popped up after her acceptance of the mission informed her that a plane would pick up her and the rest of the ‘team’ in twenty-four hours. That left her with at least 12 hours she should spend trying to go to sleep. Keyword there being ‘trying’. She'd spend many hours restless as sleep eluded her, and when it did decide to grant her some downtime it was never for long. Plagued by nightmares, she never stayed under for more than two hours at most at one time. Waking up occasionally wasn't so bad though.

 

Regardless, when she reached her apartment she showered and decided to make an attempt anyway. A two week long mission would most likely result in little to no time for resting. Such is why she not found herself lying face up in bed, waiting patiently for sleep to come. She flipped through the pages of her thoughts as she did so, thinking about Lucio and how she hasn't been that great of a friend lately. She thought about thinking of her mother, but decided she'll pay her a visit when—or if, she returns from this mission. Thoughts about her life at the moment we're constant for a while as she considered Lucio’s words earlier.

 

Helix definitely was not a very legitimate company to involve oneself with. Having once been a major security firm, bankruptcy, amongst other things, have forced them to change their approach on things. The company themselves used to be an independent contractor of sorts, hiring people to work under them and offering their services that way. Now they've implemented a system where the people under them are the independents, and the company themselves are simply a mediator between them and the client. Anyone with a task they need done can put in a request through their phone and helix simply relays that information to people who are most suitable for the job. Clients can range anywhere from actual professional personnel to the lady down the street who just wants a bodyguard for a day. Jobs like bouncers at a club to more serious things like armed escorts and protection were common. Helix themselves always take twenty-five percent off the top for setting everything up.

 

They are certainly a questionable company being as they don't deny any requests, meaning illegal activities are welcome. They leave those kinds of decisions up to the contractors themselves. But when you're in need desperate need for money or live simply for the thrill of the fight, those things mean little to someone. It's a disgusting set up where they can basically sit back and make bank while others do all the work. Yet, she found herself constantly wrapped around their finger. Something– _something_ , constantly pulling her; leading her to the fight like a horse lead to water. And she drinks from it every time.

 

A few hours pass in which she is finally able to succumb to sleep. It only lasts for an hour, though, and she isn't surprised in the slightest when her eyes snap open, her heart beating a quickened pace as she sits up. Once calm, Fareeha lays back down with a groan. She grabs a pillow and covers her face with it, knowing she really needs to use this time wisely. She remembers reading in an article one time that happy thoughts lead to a restful sleep. Her mind skins through everything that has such an effect on her, but she highly doubts thoughts of her favorite meal would grant her a good night's rest.

 

Hesitantly, she thinks about her dinner from the hour before, knowing where such thoughts would take her. As expected they lead to thoughts of the blonde doctor and brings a return to the fluttery feeling inside of her. Just the thought of the woman's smile warms a soothing fire within her. Her thoughts take off from there and before she knows it she's back asleep; but this time she doesn't wake again until well into the afternoon of a new day.

 

\-- 

The next two weeks go by in a blur for Fareeha. After waking up from that afternoon, she lazed around her apartment for a few hours before getting ready to head out. The drive to the private air space was a two hour ride. After everything she ended up showing up a whole few hours early. There had already been someone there before her, an old man with white hair and some kind of strange mask covering his face. She decided against talking to him, spending most of her time trying not to think about Angela instead. The doctor was definitely crowding her thoughts more than she has anticipated for.

 

Eventually a few more guys and one woman showed up at the rendezvous point, some creating idle banter amongst one another. Fareeha kept to herself, only really speaking when spoken too. When their flew in, a large helicopter style dropship they all entered where inside was another small team of official soldiers and their captain. They had a mission debrief and were handed appropriate outfits and weapons as they headed to their objective. The mission itself wasn't anything crazy. Just to extract an important piece of technology from the enemy base and then escort it to a designated location somewhere very far up north. They would be in enemy territory the whole time so that was the reason for the estimated two week completion time. They did some scouting for a few days before going in for target. After the retrieval they all laid low for another day or two before they began the trek up north which took three days of inconspicuously traveling through forest and woodlands.

 

The ‘professional’ team they worked with were great and had Fareeha reminiscing to her own days in the military with her own squad. Watching them interact with each other in ways similar to her own team in the past made her heart pang with jealousy. The randoms she had been teamed up with weren't quite bad either. Some of them she could tell had prior military experience, and briefly her thoughts drifted to what brought them here, on this very mission, working for a company that doesn't give half a shit about them. She hoped it wasn't the same thing that brought her here.

 

As expected once everything was over and done with, Fareeha was exhausted. It was late into the morning when she got back, and as expected she got very little sleep while away. However, as a ritual, it was imperative that she go visit her mother before doing anything else, and so she found herself driving back down to the small city in which she lived. She took an exit into a different route, riding through the quiet streets until she reached her destination, slowing in speed as she drove past the large iron gates.

 

A short walk through dirt and grass and steep uphill climb later, she found herself standing in front of her destination, a large, solitary marble tombstone sat at the pinnacle of the hill. Folded neatly in front of it sat the Egyptian flag and leaning against it was a sniper rifle with a pristine blue and black finish. There were various medals of honor placed neatly around as well. Fareeha grabs the rifle as she sits in front of the stone legs crossed, her eyes skimming the text engraved into it.

 

_Ana Amari._

 

She pulls out a cloth from her pocket and begins to wipe the rifle of any dirt that may have accumulated on it. “Hello, mother,” she greets, eyes focused on the task at hand. “I'm sure you've been watching over me and… you might not approve of the paths I've been taking lately.”

 

She sighs, sitting the now clean rifle in her lap. “I wish I could tell you that I've been trying to do better…”

 

Suddenly she feels nervous, her hands fiddling with each other. “I feel like every time I come here I just apologize about how much of a fuck up I've been,” she admits with a small laugh. She thinks of something different to tell her mother, her mind immediately going to Angela.

 

“Ah yes! I met someone wonderful, mother, I'm sure you'd like her. She's a doctor– I know, I know, you wish I would've become a doctor instead– but I like to believe she's an actual angel.” Fareeha smiles. “Her name is Angela. I met her under some rather odd circumstances, and we only hung out for a little while, but… there's something about her. I've thought about her often this last week.” Her hand moved to rest on her stomach, and she looked down at it in thought. “Whenever I think of her I get this feeling in my stomach,” she admits. Her gaze returns to the marble stone in from of her, brown eyes focused on it as if it would speak back to her. She knows no such thing could happen however.

 

“I told her we'd see each other again. But the longer I think about it, maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.” Now her voice bleeds of worry. “I- I just feel like she's in a really good place now and I'm in a not so good place… I don't want to mess anything up for her?” She sighs. “I don't know. If you were here I'm sure you'd tell me what to do. You know, drop me a hint or something.”

 

Fareeha sighs, leaning back to look up into the sky. A gust of wind blows by suddenly, rustling the tree branches above her with some force. “Well, let me not trouble you with my worries any longer. I'm sure you're plenty busy over there in the afterlife.”

 

Fareeha moves to stand up, dusting her pants off as she did so. Reaching under the folded flag she pulls out a single sniper rifle bullet and begins to load the rifle. It was a habit of hers to fire one bullet every time as a way of paying respects. Of course, she made sure to get the permission from the owner of the cemetery and of course because it was her mother, he had no issues with it. As long as she made sure no one else was around and she fired away from the city, she was fine.

 

She points the barrel of the rifle towards the vast open fields of green that lead up north, slightly upwards into the sky, looking through the barrel to aim her shot. There was a specific spot in the distance she liked to aim at in particular. She pulls the trigger, bracing herself for the recoil that never comes. The sound of the bullet jamming catches her ears and she checks the chamber to find the bullet lodged in there. “What the hell?”

 

The odds of the bullet jamming were so slim they should have been nonexistent. Regardless she thinks nothing of it, fixing the jam and reloading the weapon.. She steadies herself, aiming at her favorite spot once again before repeating her actions. Once again the _click!_ sound of the rifle jamming hit her ears. Fareeha's jaw opened in disbelief. Not once, but twice, the same rifle used by her mother for countless years in which never has she recalled it ever malfunctioning, has jammed on her. It was bizarre, and she couldn't explain it. Supernatural, even. Fareeha directed her gaze to the sky, then back to the rifle in her hands, then back to the marble stone with her mother's name engraved into it. The idea came to her suddenly, and she found it truly hard to believe as she cleared the jammed bullet once again.

 

“Okay,” she breathes. Two jams in a row? That's unheard of. In her mind she goes over her worries about the blonde from last night, and in her heart she comes to a decision. Reloading, she takes aim once more. Fareeha exhales, finger ghosting the trigger. When she finally pulls it the powerful, crackling sound of the rifle echoes through the air, a small bit of smoke rising from the barrel. She stands still, her eye still locked into the scope for a moment. When she does lower the weapon slowly away from her face, a single tear cascades down her cheek. She turns to the tombstone, reaching out to place a hand on it with a sad smile.

 

“Only you, Ana Amari.”

 

When Fareeha leaves the cemetery she feels lighter than before, and has decided it was time she pay a visit to a certain blonde doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucio is the best friend we all need. Helix is the Uber of this world. The grave cannot hold Ana Amari.
> 
> All the fluffy pharmercy goodness next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Angela couldn’t take her eyes off of Fareeha. Here was the woman she had been searching for throughout the past two weeks sleeping on a bench outside of her job in the middle of the night. She found herself staring harder just to make sure she wasn’t imagining all of this. When a minute or two passed and the woman before her did not dissolve away nor did Angela suddenly find herself waking up at her desk, she came to the conclusion that this was definitely a real event taking place in real time. With that knowledge she stepped closer to where Fareeha sat, catching the faint sound of light snores with her closer proximity.

 

She took in her appearance as she stood in front of her, hands in the side pockets to her jacket fiddling idly with the pocket insides. She couldn’t deny that this whole scenario was simply the cutest. Fareeha sitting on this bench in her fitting, black leather jacket and blue scarf. Her head would nod forward before being jerked back up once she felt her head droop too low. Angela’s eyes were drawn to the tattoo underneath her eye and she resolved to make sure she ask about it and not forget this time.

 

Unfortunately, as much as she liked the idea of standing around staring at Fareeha all day, she had to wake the sleepy woman up. She took a seat next to her, hoping her added weight on the bench would be enough to wake Fareeha up. It turned out it wasn’t so she went for the next best thing, placing a hand on her shoulder as she gently shook her awake. She smiles as Fareeha groans, stretching against the bench with her arms behind her and her legs kicking out as far as they could go. Once she assumingly realized where she was and what she was doing before, her eyes snap open and she stands up from the bench in panic as she takes in her surroundings. The sound of heavenly giggling turns her attention to the bench where Angela sits amused by it all, and a look of relief flashes across her features momentarily.

 

“Angela! Uh, hey,” she greets awkwardly, reaching back to rub between her neck and shoulders in embarrassment as she comes to the conclusion that she must've fell asleep. She hopes she doesn't come off as some kind of creep sleeping outside Angela's workplace like this, especially before she could explain herself.

 

“Hey,” came the blonde’s simple reply. She lowered her head as she mumbled her next words. “I was worried about you…”

 

Fareeha moved to sit back down next to the blonde, mild surprise written on her face. “You were worried about me?”

 

“Yes! Why wouldn't I be? You disappeared and I thought maybe you weren't going to come back…”

 

Turning to face her, Fareeha saw Angela staring down at her hands as she fidgeted with them idly. She remembered their night and her promise of there being a next time. She sighs. _I'm such an idiot._ “I'm sorry, Angela. I—”

 

“You don't need to apologize. I'm just glad you decided to come by. Although, your timing sure is interesting.” The doctor smiles as she turns to face the taller woman, blushing slightly when she realizes how close they're sitting.

 

Now it's Fareeha's turn to look away. “Well I had planned to stop by to take you out for lunch. I went inside but was told you were busy, so I decided to wait on this bench for you to come out… and then I fell asleep.” Angela laughed, a heartfelt laugh that touched the deepest parts within Fareeha. How had she possibly considered passing up the opportunity to get to know her better?

 

Angela recalled her lunch break and definitely remembered passing up lunch to get some more work in. “I appreciate the thought, Fareeha.” She paused as she remembered a much more important matter to bring up. “So. You must be a good friend of Lena’s, hm?”

 

“Who?” The circumstances of their impromptu date came to her then and her brain put the pieces together as she realized Lena was most likely the friend who had set her up on the date. That would mean she figured out that she was no friend of this Lena and had basically just invited herself. “Oh… right.”

 

“You don’t know Lena at all.”

 

“I do not,”

 

“Which means you had no grasp on the situation when you joined me that night, but you did it anyway.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Why?” It was a question burning on the back of her mind ever since she realized her wonderful date wasn’t who she pretended to be. A part of her was thankful, however, as she’s certain whoever Lena was going to set her up with wouldn't even be able to hold a flame to Fareeha.

 

Fareeha exhaled as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on her thighs. “I saw you sitting all alone. The first thing I noticed was how absolutely stunning you looked.” At that Angela became as red as a tomato, covering her face with her hands. Fareeha was having none of that and she pulled them away, replacing them with her own as she turned Angela to face her. If the color in her cheeks wasn't obvious enough then the heat in them was, as she knew there was no way Fareeha couldn’t feel how warm they were.

 

“The second thing I noticed was just how sad these pretty blue eyes looked.” Their eyes met in that moment and Angela felt her heart stop. If she wasn’t a legitimate doctor she would have sworn she was going into cardiac arrest. “To be honest it would have been a crime for me not to.”

 

Angela had been listening at first, but with the hand on her face and the realization of how close they were sitting her mind went blank. Fareeha was just so beautiful. She had trouble taking her eyes off of the woman. Thankfully she was saved by the sudden rumbling in her stomach. _Oh right, I haven’t eaten in awhile._

 

“How about we go grab something to eat?”

 

“It is pretty late, I doubt anything is even open?” Angela gave her a questioning eyebrow at her suggestion. It was nearly two in the morning.

 

“I know a 24 hour convenience store we can go to,” she offers as she rises to her feet, offering a hand out to Angela. She was skeptical but she took the offered hand anyway.

 

The two walked down towards the street and Angela was excited and incredible nervous when she realized Fareeha never let go of her hand the entire walk there. They walked to the street and down to the corner where a sleek, deep blue motorcycle with golden rims stood parked. Angela could feel the fear in her bones when she realized that would be their designated mode of transportation. She had never ridden on a motorcycle before.

 

“Don't worry, you'll be safe with me.” Fareeha reassured her as if sensing her uneasiness, squeezing her hand for extra measure. She grabbed the helmet from around the side and smiled apologetically at her companion. “I'm sorry but I'll have to hide your beautiful face with this. Safety first,” she adds with a wink. Angela reddens further, but thankfully it's hidden once Fareeha places the large helmet over her head and checks to make sure it is secure.

 

When done she climbs over into the saddle and Angela can't help but notice that she doesn't have another helmet. “Where's yours?”

 

She shrugs. “I only have one. Don't worry about me though.”

 

Angela feels concerned anyway but inevitably accepts Fareeha hand as she climbs on in back of her. She feels her push up on the kickstand and push the bike further a little and her hands immediately find home around her waist. Through the leather of her jacket she can feel how hard the taller woman's abdomen is and she buries her helmet covered head against Fareeha's back. _Mein Gott, Angela, pull yourself together._ It is in this moment she's so thankful the helmet was hiding her face, especially once her mind wanders to an image of Fareeha working out. Fareeha's sudden voice pulls her out of her fantasies.

 

“Hold on tight, okay?”

 

Angela nod against her back and the next thing she knew she heard the sound of the bike starting up and felt the vibrations of the iron horse beneath her before they were suddenly driving off. It was a weird feeling at first but Fareeha took care not to go too fast, and before she knew it Angela actually quite enjoyed the feeling. She also very much enjoyed a free pass to essentially feel up on her gorgeous chauffeur. She could feel every movement of muscle of those abs against her arms. What a blessed night this was turning out to be.

 

All too soon the ride was over though as they pulled over in front of the convenience store Fareeha had talked about. They dismount the bike and Fareeha removes the helmet from Angela's head. Her ponytail had become tussled from the headgear and in an attempt to fix it she removed her tie, her hair falling free. Fareeha watched her fix it as she held open the door to the store.

 

“You should wear your hair down more often. It looks great,” she says as Angela walks past her inside. She makes note of the way the woman's face heats up so easily from her comments as she follows her inside.

 

In the convenience store they have a small section of already prepared meals from salads to sandwiches and such. Angela browsed through the selection of sandwiches, looking for one she finds the most appealing. She ends up choosing an avocado sandwich on rye bread but finds Fareeha empty handed.

 

“You should try the one I'm getting. Avocado is delicious.”

 

Fareeha turns to eye the sandwich in her hands, eyeing the description on the packaging that lists the ingredients. “I can't say I've really eaten avocado like that.”

 

“Really?” Angela tsks at Fareeha, shocked that she hasn't been enlightened to the gift of avocado. She retrieves a second avocado sandwich and places it into large dark hands. “Trust me, you’ll love it.”

 

They get to the register and Angela notices Fareeha reaching into her pocket for her wallet. She remembers that Fareeha had also paid for their dinner that night and she would feel awful if she paid for this too, no matter how inexpensive it was. As if she was already anticipating her interjection, Fareeha placed a hand on hers as she reached into her coat for her own wallet. “It's okay, I got this.”

 

Angela didn't like it but she conceded anyway as Fareeha pulled out the money to pay for their items. As the cashier was gathering their change she looks up to glance over the two. “I have to say you both make such a beautiful couple,” she says as she hands Fareeha her change.

 

Flustered, Angela attempts to correct her but can't find the words.

 

“Thank you. We just started dating.”

 

_Wait what._

 

Angela turned to look at the taller woman, eyes wide at the words that just left her mouth. Did she really just say that? Fareeha smiled back at the cashier with the most proud look on her face, clearly standing behind her words. Angela was confused. The cashier however was ecstatic. “Ah, congratulations to you both. I wish you the best,” she says as she hands Fareeha the small plastic bag of their things.

 

An arm slipped around her waist pulled her closer to the body next to her and Angela covered her face with the sleeve of her leather jacket in embarrassment. She couldn't believe this was happening. She hears Fareeha say a few more things to the cashier before she's being swiftly turned to towards the exit. Once outside she turns to say something. “Why would you say that?”

 

“All in good fun,” came her reply with a shrug. “Does the idea of dating me repulse you that much, Doctor?”

 

“W-what no! I, I—”

 

“It's okay, I jest.” Angela calms at the hands on both of her shoulders, head bowing to hide her face as she poyuted. The display amused fareeha and she reached up to pat Angela's head despite her scowl at the action. “You're so cute when you're flustered, Dr. Zeigler,” she says as she places the helmet back on, something Angela is grateful for. At this rate her face would be red forever.

 

* * *

 

 

The two women head back to Angela’s apartment where they find themselves sitting on her sofa to eat their meals. Angela was nervous to have Fareeha in her home but the acceleration in her chest was enough to let her know she was just as excited. She pulls out her avocado sandwich, biting into it and humming at how good it was. It definitely exceeded her expectations for a convenience store sandwich and she definitely underestimated how hungry she was. She pauses mid bite when she realizes Fareeha wasn't eating her own sandwich. “Everything alright?”

 

“Just admiring the view.”

 

“Are you always such a charmer, Fareeha?”

 

“Only when I'm trying to be charming.”

 

“You don't have to try too hard around me,” Angela replies with a smirk as she goes back to her sandwich.

 

Fareeha smiles at her words, appreciating her boldness. “Noted.”

 

They fell back into silence as Angela finished her sandiwhc, sad to see the last bite go. All the while she sat there watching as Fareeha silently prodded with her own sandwich, inspecting it in every which way except with her mouth. She rolls her eyes at such childish antics, scooting closer to the other woman and taking half of the sandwich in her hands. “Open your mouth.”

 

Taken aback, the woman in question raised a hand in defense. “So forward, Doctor.” She received a look in reply that made it clear that she was not joking.

 

“Try it, I swear it's delicious,” Angela prodded as she pushed the sandwich closer to her mouth, only for Fareeha to back away. “Fareeeeehaaaaaa.”

 

“Okay okay.” She huffs, running a hand through her hair. She sits up straight, turning to face the blonde, her fate accepted. “This better taste good,” she mutters.

 

Angela smiles, proud that she got her to submit to her wishes. “It will, I promise.” She takes the sandwich triangle and brings it to her lips, waiting for Fareeha to take a bite and poking it at her mouth playfully when she doesn’t, causing the tanned woman to smile. When she does take the bite Angela watches her face to discern whether she liked it or not. “Well?”

 

“It’s actually pretty good.”

 

“I told you!”

 

Indeed the sandwich was very delicious. So good she was looking forward to the rest. She looked towards Angela for the other piece but found her about to dive into it herself. “Hey!” She lunged over in an attempt to take back her sandwich but the blonde moved out the way of her attack.

 

“Oh so now you want it?” She teased, waving the other half before she took a bite out of it. She wasn’t expecting Fareeha to reach over and grab the rest from her hands with her mouth though, and she jumped in surprise as her lips grazed against her fingers. Her fingers tingled where they had touched and she lost all sense of her surroundings as she focused on the feeling. She hadn't even noticed Fareeha’s triumphant grin with her mouth full of sandwich, but she did notice the loud yawn that escaped her. A glance at the clock showed it was nearing four in the morning and suddenly she was so glad she was off from work tomorrow since she was exhausted. She thought about how late it was and decided that she couldn’t allow Fareeha to ride home at this hour.

 

“Why don’t you spend the night, Fareeha? It’s very late.”

 

Angela noticed the contemplative look on her face and could tell she didn't think it was a good idea. Her next words were, as such, not a surprise to her. “I don't know if that’s a good idea.”

 

“Is this not the ‘next time’ you promised me?” Touche. She had promised there would be a next time. “Stay. You can make me breakfast in the morning as repayment for abandoning me.”

 

An eyebrow raised in astonishment. “Oh, is that what we’re calling it now,” she joked as she watched her now host get up presumably to get her some clothes to sleep in. Angela returns with a pair of sweats a tank top as they were the only items she thought could fit the bigger woman. Fareeha exhales as she gets up and heads to the bathroom to change. Angela cleans up their mess as she does so. Eventually, Fareeha emerges from the bathroom. The sweats are a little too short as they sit low on her waist and a little above the ankles. The tank top fits fine though.

 

Nothing, however, could prepare Angela for the sight of those evenly muscled arms. All actions she was carrying out prior were forgotten as took in the sight, trying her hardest to commit it to memory. Tonight has truly been such a blessing. She snaps out of her daze long enough to finally finish prepping the sofa for Fareeha, having gave her a spare pillow and blanket. She would have offered her own bed but she knew she would have declined, and decided to spare herself the trouble. She felt another yawn arising and decided it was definitely time to call it a night.

 

“My room is over there if you need anything,” she yawned.

 

Fareeha nodded in reply as she plopped herself onto the sofa,clearly just as tired as her even despite the nap she got. Angela smiled at the sight of her getting settled under her blanket from the doorway to her own room. “Goodnight, Fareeha.”

 

“Goodnight, Angela.”

 

* * *

 

 

She was barely sleep a full two hours before she woke up for an emergency bathroom break. It’s still dark out so she knows the sun hasn’t risen yet. Angela groans as she rolls over out the bed and slugs her way to the bathroom. She passes back through the living room when she finishes, yawning all the while, when sounds from the sofa catches her attention. Curious she diverts her path and makes way to where Fareeha lay asleep. Angela finds her tossing and turning, the blanket long forgotten on her carpeted floor. Every few seconds she could hear a painful whimper or moan from her.

 

Crouching in front of her sleeping form she reached a hand on her shoulder, unsure if she should wake her or not. Her face was scrunched in discomfort as she turned and it hurt Angela to see her like this. A part of her began to wonder what the cause of the nightmares could be. Tentatively, she placed a hand on the side of her face, caressing circles with her thumb in an attempt to calm her. It works a little, stopping her constant fidgeting. Her hand travels up into her scalp, surely out of her own desire to touch black locks of hair. She isn't disappointed when she feels the soft threads between her fingers, stroking through them until after a few minutes Fareeha was calm. Her hands still massaged their way through her scalp though as she found it hard to stop. For a second she was thankful Fareeha was apparently a deep sleeper, but soon enough felt the urge to head back to her own bed. Reluctantly, she freed her hands from dark tresses as she stood to go back to sleep, taking one last look at the now peacefully sleeping form once more.

 

The next time she wakes up it's to the the faint smell vegetables cooking and the even stronger scent of freshly brewed coffee. The covers were thrown back as she rolled over into a stretch. The clock on her nightstand read it was half past noon. _I guess now would be a good time to get up._ Angela stretches once more as she sits up. She could definitely go back to sleep, but the heavenly aromas coming from the kitchen was a great reminder that she did have company. To think Fareeha actually had made her breakfast. She smiled to herself at the thought but frowned once she realized that meant she had went to the supermarket since she still hadn't gone good shopping. She'd definitely have to repay Fareeha for all the money she spends on her. They've technically only met twice so it's unacceptable.

 

Her feet are dragged along the carpet as she leaves her room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a closed fist. The smell of breakfast was even better from outside of her room and she found herself sighing in content. It's been so long since she had a home cooked meal. She was definitely looking forward to this; a breakfast date between her and Fareeha. Just the thought alone had her all giddy inside. What a pleasant way to start the day.

 

“Good morning, love!”

 

Oh no.

 

Her face fell at the familiar voice. It was definitely not Fareeha’s voice. Angela removed the hands rubbing at her eyes, blinking to clear her vision. A glance towards her kitchen table confirmed her greatest fear. Sitting at the table eating breakfast with Fareeha was none other than her best friend Lena. She tried to hide the annoyance in her face as her friend shot her a trademark smug grin. Somehow, her morning got dramatically worse... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been a while hasn't it...


	5. Chapter 5

The mouth watering smell of whatever it was Fareeha had cooked enticing enough to stop Angela from swiftly turning back around and getting back in bed. She did not know why her best friend was sitting at her kitchen table with the woman she dated one time. Twice if you count last night. For the sake of proving her innocence she’ll keep that one off the books. 

 

Lena's greeting was enough to pull Fareeha's attention away from her breakfast as she looked up to see Angela trudge her way to the table. 

 

“Angela! Good morning!” The enthusiasm with which she was greeted was enough to bring a dorky smile to Angela's face before it abruptly turned to a scowl at the look of her best friend’s smug look. “I went out and got some groceries to make breakfast and as I was cooking your friend showed up so I offered to make her some as well.”

 

“I sure did pick a great time to show up,” Lena quips.

 

If it were possible to materialize daggers with one’s eyes, the glares Angela sent Lena's way would create enough to arm a small army. “Couldn't have picked a better one,” she replies, sarcasm heavy in her tone with an fake smile to top it all off. Grudgingly she made her way to the table. She needed her coffee before she could deal with Lena and she hoped the woman would at least be considerate enough to allow her that before she starts prying. 

 

“I made a fresh pot of coffee for you,” said Fareeha as Angela took a seat next to her, fully aware of the looks she got from Lena for doing so. 

 

“Thank you, Fareeha.”

 

“I made us some veggie omelettes. I didn’t expect you to wake up anytime soon. I can make you a fresh one real quick though.”

 

She's pushing her seat away from the table before Angela could even open her mouth. “What no, it's fine I can wait until you're finished eating.” Angela eyes the half eaten eggs and vegetables on Fareeha's plate, now abandoned as she's gotten up to prepare another. 

 

“It'll be quick,” is the only reply she gets before the sound of the stove turning on and a pan being placed atop it sounds through the kitchen. 

 

Angela dare look over to Lena, elbow leaning against the tabletop as she rests her head in her hand, idly moving her fork through her food. That smug smile is still on her face and her eyes are squinted in that way that says ‘you have a lot of explaining to do’. Angela hides her face on the table, wrapping her arms around her as a wall of sort. A part of her, however, is grateful she's at least waiting for her to have her cup of coffee. And as soon as she gets her caffeine fix she certainly has some questions for Lena as well. 

 

It's faster than she expected when she hears and feels a plate being placed in front of her, the close proximity of the aroma easily seeping past her arm fortress. She sits up and stares in awe at the plate in front of her consisting of a vegetable omelette topped with avocado and two slices of whole wheat toast. She appreciated the avocado the most, Fareeha most likely having picked up on her liking of it. To top it off she brings her a mug of coffee and the appropriate condiments as well. 

 

“I'm afraid I don't know how you take your coffee,” she laughs as she takes her seat and continues eating as if she never got up. 

 

“Fareeha, you're wonderful, you didn't have to do all of this,” she exclaims, taking in her breakfast and how it looks extravagantly better than Fareeha and Lena's plates. 

 

“This is repayment, no? I always pay in full,” says Fareeha with a smirk, taking another bite of her own meal. 

 

Angela tries to hide her blushing face from their guest but fails, Lena’s fake coughing to get her attention proof of that. The countdown to when she starts asking 100 questions was reaching its end. With a sigh she takes a large sip of her coffee, deciding she'll just have it black. Her large sip turns into her emptying the entire mug. She picks up her fork and and knife, cutting a piece of egg. She holds it up, but instead of biting into it she turns to Lena with her realistic face smile. “So tell me, Lena. What are you doing in my house, again?”

 

Having finished her breakfast, Lena pushes her plate to the side before she answers. “Aren’t we gonna do that one thing today?” she asks. Angela raises an eyebrow, knowing Lena was making stuff up. “Anyways,  _ Fareeha _ here has been an excellent host to me in your absence.” It was then she turned to face the tanned woman who was scraping the last bits of egg and veggies onto her fork. “You make a damned good omelette, ya know.”

 

_ Goddammit.  _

 

Ignoring the miniature conversation the two started to have about omelette, Angela mentally crossed off her plan to play Fareeha off as a coworker of hers. If Lena knew her name then she knows that this is who she had the date with. 100 questions just got much worse. With the two engrossed in some new topic of discussion, Angela took the time to eat through her breakfast, which was actually extremely good. There were flavors in these vegetables that she wasn’t even aware existed in them. Each bite left her craving for more, until, inevitably, her plate was empty. She looks down at it with a frown, sad that the delicious meal is over but satisfied with the full feeling in her stomach. She sighed as she leaned back in her seat to relish the feeling. 

 

“That tasted amazing. I had no idea you could cook like that!”

 

Fareeha smiles, standing to collect the plates. “It's just one of my few talents,” she says with a wink. If there was ever a time she wished Fareeha wouldn’t tease her, it was now with Lena sitting across from them at the table. She could barely make out her snickering from out of the corner of her eye. “Let me take care of the dishes. I’m sure your friend would like to speak to you.”

 

The Egyptian woman left with the soiled dishes before she could question her, leaving Angela sitting with a pout. She’d really have to repay Fareeha for her kindness soon. Once the sound of rushing water and plates clanging in the sink was heard Lena leaned her arms over the table, whispering excitedly to her friend. “Angie! What the fuck, man, is that her?!”

 

“Don't whisper so loud! She's right there!”

 

“Whispers can't even be loud!”

 

“Yes, they ca— argh, forget it!”

 

Grabbing Lena’s wrist she stood up and dragged her into her room, shutting the door behind them. She turned from the wooden door to the British woman waiting patiently with her arms crossed, foot tapping against her carpeted floor. The outburst should be coming any second now. 

 

“I come in expecting to find you asleep at your desk and instead I find a real life Michelangelo sculpture cooking breakfast in your kitchen!?”

 

“Lena, I had no idea you were into the arts…” The glare Lena sent her was enough for Angela to decide to stop beating around the bush. “Okay, okay. That’s Fareeha, the woman I told you about.”

 

“Well, I established that much,” Lena exclaims, taking a seat on the bed. “You’re not gonna tell my why and how she ended up in your kitchen making breakfast? When I came by you were still asleep, so you got some explaining to do, luv.”

 

Angela takes a seat next to her, hands folded on her lap as she idly toyed with her fingers. In all honesty, she figured she would end up having a talk with her friend sooner or later about the Egyptian woman. Ever since she told her about the date Angela knew she would be dying to hear about it. “There isn’t really much explaining, Lena. I told you I hadn’t heard from her since that night. But then I got out of work late last night and she was there, waiting for me.” The memory brings a grin to her face. “We picked up some food and came here to eat, but I couldn’t send her home so late so I told her to stay. That’s it.”

 

“That's it,” Lena asks skeptically.

 

“That’s it. I may have made a joke about making breakfast but clearly she took it quite literally.”

 

“Hey, I’m not gonna complain about that one. That gal can make a mean omelette.” Angela rolled her eyes. “So you had nothing planned for today?”

 

Her thoughts immediately went to her breakfast plans, rudely interrupted by her friend. “Nope, nothing at all,” she says with a forced smile.

 

“Oh, well that's disappointing, Ang.”

 

“You don’t say…”

 

There was a brief pause before Lena spoke her next words, catching the blonde by surprise. “So do you like her?”

 

“W-what?!” At her friend’s gaze she lowers her head. Briefly she entertains the thought. She’s known her for just a little over 24 hours. That’s barely enough time to determine something like that isn't it? But she did know for sure that she enjoyed being around the Egyptian woman. It filled her with a feeling she couldn't quite place. “I… I do like Fareeha. I don’t know her very well, but I enjoy being in her presence. I want us to become closer as friends, but I’m not sure, yet, of anything beyond that.”

 

Lena’s gaze is questionable. It wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear, but she knew Angela’s words were heartfelt and decided she'd leave it at that. Contrary to what Angela may think, she doesn’t want to pry too deep At least no yet. She accepts her best friend’s answer with a bright smile, happy either way to see that Angela has met someone new.

 

When the two return Fareeha had finished cleaning the kitchen and was leaning against the counter looking at her phone with a solemn look. She perked up quickly when she felt them approaching, meeting them halfway. “I think it's about time I get going. I don't want to overstay if you two have things to do.”

 

Angela frowns at her words, the urge to say something to make her stay pulls at her but she doesn't know what to say. Lena notices and decides to take initiative here, stepping past Angela to place a hand on Fareeha's shoulder. 

 

“Actually, luv. I was just telling Angela that I won't be able to make our plans for tonight. Gotta head into work.” She looks over to Angela with a mock apologetic look, who reciprocates with her own disappointed facial expression. “But since you're here, why don't you keep her company for me, pal?”

 

“Sorry to hear that. What were you both planning on doing today?”

 

“We were just gonna check out the festival happening later today. Angela was  _ really  _ looking forward to it.”

 

Fareeha glances past the shorter woman in front of her to look at Angela who was skillfully playing the role of sadly disappointed best friend. “I guess I understand if you don't want to,” she whispers, but enough that Fareeha could hear. Her eyes are downcast, staring at a spot on the floor as she rubs her forearm. Thank god for that acting class Lena forced her to that one time. She could feel her best friends silent praise. 

 

“I'd love to go with you. Let me go home, change, and I'll meet you back here around four?”

 

“That sounds great,” she replies, failing to hide the excitement in her voice. 

 

Fareeha takes her leave, bidding Lena farewell and leaving the two alone. Angela releases the largest sigh once the door closes behind her. She really owed this to her best friend, but she also knew she would definitely let this go to her head. “Thanks, Lena.”

 

“Sometimes I don't know what you'd do without me,” she sighs, falling back onto the sofa with her hands spread out on either side across the backrest. As expected, she was definitely feeling the ego boost. Angela's eyes roll at her need to be extra as she takes a seat next to her. “But really, think of it as repayment for intruding on your breakfast, which I would like to be included in from now on if it becomes a thing.”

 

They both share a small laugh. Angela agrees that the food was amazingly delicious. It would truly be a crime to keep it completely to herself. She agrees to invite Lena over if the occasion ever arises again. 

 

* * *

 

It’s 3:55 when Angela finds herself ready to go and sitting patiently for Fareeha to show up. Once again she realized she failed to get any sort of contact info from her, and every part of her hoped that she wouldn't pull another disappearing act. She looked over her outfit, which she had finally settled on after changing a handful of times. She settled with a simple pair of pants and a turtleneck sweater, as the weather has been getting pretty cold. She didn't think it would get cold enough to warrant a jacket though. Her sweater should be just enough. A glance at her phone showed the large Helvetica font on the screen that read four o’clock. When a minute goes by and there's still no knock on her door, worry grips at her chest. 

 

Just as she's beginning to regret this whole idea the doorbell goes off and she's at her front door faster than she thought possible. She takes some time to calm herself before opening it. The words meant to be her greeting are lost on her tongue at the sight of Fareeha and the fitting button down shirt she wore that seemed to outline the definition of her arms too well. “H-hey,” she manages to say, gaze immediately directing anywhere but her.

 

Fareeha smiles at her shyness. “Ready to go?”

 

“Yeah, let me just grab my bag.”

 

They board the elevator to head out, quiet, as angela eyes the display above the doors as it lights up upon each floor they pass. They’re nearing the 1st floor when she wills herself to speak. “Thanks for coming with me this evening.”

 

The doors are opening when Fareeha replies. “Thanks for having me.”

 

When they step outside, Angela seeks out the familiar blue and gold motorcycle but finds it nowhere. Confused, she follows Fareeha a little further down the block where they stop in front of a sleek charcoal gray luxury sedan. Her eyes widen at how nice and expensive the car appears, and they widen even more when Fareeha pulls out the clicker to unlock the doors, opening the passenger side for her.

 

“This is your car?”

 

“It is,” she smirks, closing the door behind Angela as she got in. The blonde takes in how luxurious the interior of the car is with leather seats and smooth wood like finish on the dashboard. Surely this car must cost a fortune.Fareeha gets in the driver's seat next to her, buckling her seatbelt and starting the car. “I thought the car would be a better choice, considering I only have one helmet. But also it will be more comfortable for you,” she explains, oblivious to the fact that Angela still couldn't get over how expensive this car must have been.

 

It definitely is very comfortable; she couldn't deny that. With her own seatbelt secure she found herself toying wit the various settings to recline the seat. There was even a button to activate a seat warmer. Yes, this was very nice.

 

“Having fun?”

 

She stops mid recline to see Fareeha watching her, grinning in amusement. Her face heats up as she reclines her chair up to a normal height. Fareeha chuckles at her antics before driving off.

 

According to Lena the festival actually is outside of the city, up north near the state’s lake. It ended up being about an hour drive which passed by quickly with their small banter, specifically about what to expect at the festival and what activities they should look into first. They could tell they arrived when they saw the crowds of people and the many rows of stalls lined up in the distance. Angela cold feel the excitement wash through her at the sight of it. She hadn’t known about this until today, but she couldn't wait to see what kind of fun and games there would be. The fact that she got to experience it with Fareeha made it all the more better. She hoped spending time here would be a good step in helping them become closer.

 

After parking the car the two made their way to the heart of it all. Angela noted the black jacket Fareeha now sported. In the back of her mind she began to regret not bringing one herself. 

 

They idly walked down the makeshift aisles, taking in the various food stalls and games. In the car they made the decision to walk through and take everything in first before stopping anywhere specific. They walked side by side, but just barely touching. Angela would glance up at her every while or so to find her looking around at some stalls herself. They reached a particular section that was a lot more crowded than usual, the sea of people almost separating them on two occasions. loveWhen a hand reached out to grab hers, pulling her close, Angela felt both relieved and panicked once she realized it was Fareeha holding her close. The source of the growing crowd was a nearby game booth, where cheers and shouts of disappointment could be heard from the distance.

 

Fareeha feels Angela tugging her in that direction, following the smaller woman through the crowd until they saw the reason for all the commotion. It was a shooting game where one has to shoot at a piece of paper hanging up in the distance. The goal is to shoot out the red star imprinted on it so there's no red left anywhere on the paper. It looked simple enough, but that clearly wasn't the case considering the swarm of men walking away in shame and utter defeat. The sight brought a smirk to the Egyptian’s face. She decides they should get going, but a tug on Angela’s hand reveals she's rooted to the spot, eyes transfixed in longing at one of the prizes the booth had to offer. Brown eyes followed her gaze to the small square piece of plastic that read “$100 gift card to ‘Cafe’”.  _ That’s an interesting name for a cafe. _

 

It must be a cafe Angela frequents for that to be the prize she picks out from the various electronics and video games. Fareeha eyes the game again then looks back to Angela. The game was clearly rigged, that much she could tell just from watching. However, a part of her wanted to get Angela that gift card. And maybe she just wanted to have the satisfaction of winning in front of everyone who failed.

 

“Angela.” She catches the blonde’s attention, blue eyes staring up at her. “Do you want that gift card?”

 

She looks away, embarrassed that she was so obvious about it. But from all of the prizes, that one caught her eye and she couldn't stop but think how nice it would be to not have to pay for her morning coffees for a while. “I would love it, but I doubt this game is winnable. It's most likely rigged several different types of ways.”

 

As if she hadn't heard the rest of her statement Fareeha squeezes her hand lightly, gazing into blue orbs. “I’ll win it for you,” she promises, before she steps up to the booth. The sheer amount of confidence in her voice sent a shiver down Angela’s spine. Though she wasn’t sure how she would do it, there was no doubt in her mind that she’d be walking away with that gift card tonight.

 

The man in charge of the booth explains the game and price to Fareeha as she pulls out the money from her wallet. She’d done some observing from the sidelines so even before she picked up the airsoft rifle, she knew the sights would be off and the firing inconsistent. It felt familiar in her hands yet foreign at the same time. Her finger ghosts the trigger and she can tell immediately how sensitive it was. 

 

“You can start at anytime, young missy,” chirps the gamekeeper. Fareeha rolls her eye at the nickname.

 

She decides that firstly she needs to figure out how off the aim is. Aiming dead center, she pulls the trigger light enough to shoot one bullet. When it hits a little lower to the left than where it should, she has all the information she needs and begins to shoot in bursts around the corners of the star, outlining a circle until the star falls clean off the paper. She smirked to herself. There were even still bullets left in the gun. 

 

Everyone ranging from the gamekeeper to the guys playing next to her, to the crowd behind them go silent in awe that the game had been beaten. The owner is the most in shock though, reaching out in a  daze to press the button which triggered the winners alarm. Angelas hands covered her mouth in awe, herself. Not only because Fareeha had one but also because the look of concentration on her face as she did so looked way too attractive. It hadn’t even occurred to her to question how she learned to shoot so precise. She was so focused on the thought she didn't even see nor hear the woman approach her from the crowd, the gamekeeper confused in the background at her choice of prize.

 

She hands her the gift card with a smile, reaching back down to grab her other hand in hers. “I told you I’d get it, right? Come on, let's get something to eat.”

 

“O-okay,” she nods, still in a slight stupor as Fareeha leads her away.

 

After they ate, having shared a few different foods from various stalls, Angela would come to realize that Fareeha is a natural at carnival games, beating many different games that seemed next to impossible. Her gift card prize was soon joined by a large stuffed bear, a gold bracelet, a small blue bird plush, and an even larger stuffed bear. One more reason she was glad they came by car and not bike.

 

Hearing about a fireworks display happening soon, they stopped to pick up a funnel cake and found a nice secluded spot near the lake to watch the show. They found the perfect tree to sit against, Angela’s bear proving to be an amazing backrest. 

 

“Try some?” asks Angela, holding a piece the fried dough up to her lips.

 

Fareeha smirks at the familiarity of the scene, opening her mouth to accept the offering. They continue like this, Angela offering her a piece and then taking one for herself until there’s none left. Fareeha notices some powdered sugar on the side of her mouth and reaches over with a thumb to wipe it away. Her hand lingered on her face just a little longer than need be before she takes it away, relishing the warmth as her face heated up at the contact.

 

“Thank you for everything, Fareeha. Tonight was amazing,” she says suddenly to break the tension.

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

 

“I did,” she smiles. “It's been so long since I had such good times like this. I-” she hesitates, looking down as she contemplates whether to say what's on her mind next when a hand on her shoulder encourages her on. “I don’t really have any close friends other than Lena, so I don’t go out like this at all, really. It was nice. So I mean it when I say thank you.”

 

Fareeha smiles. She thinks back to the first day when she saw Angela alone and sad at that table and how it spurred her to act. She imagines how lonely it must be to have only one person you can depend on. Lena is an amazing person, that much she could tell from her brief meeting with her, but there's no way she could be there for Angela at every waking moment. She doesn't want Angela to ever feel sad or alone, not if she can help it. She felt the guilt from having been gone for so long and In that moment Fareeha decides that she’ll be there for Angela so she never has to feel even the slightest hints of loneliness.

 

“You’re welcome, Angela. I’ll be your friend, by your side for as long as you’ll have me.”

 

The fireworks begin then, the first spark of bright red flying high into the sky to explode into an array of colors. Their attention turned to the colorful display lighting up the sky. The reflection from the water only heightening the experience. An arm wraps around Angela’s shoulders, pulling her closer and her head finds rest on Fareeha’s shoulder. Occasionally she looks up at Fareeha’s face highlighted by the display of lights and smiles to herself, closing her eyes as she took in everything about this moment. Yes, she could get used to this.

 

The fire works end a short fifteen minutes later. When she feels no movement from the woman next to her, Fareeha looks down to find that Angela had fallen asleep against her. She smiles at how adorable she looks asleep, gently pushing a few stray strands hair behind her ear as she takes in the sight. The feeling of a slight shiver against her prompts her to take her jacket from its place next to her and place it around Angela’s form. 

 

Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she tries her hardest to fish it out of her pocket without waking the sleeping beauty next to her. The job alert that flashes on the screen puts a scowl on her face. Any other time she wouldn't mind, but something about receiving these alert in the presence of Angela makes her upset. She felt the same way earlier when she got one after she had finished washing the dishes. Her thumb reaches up to the setting icon and she turns off their notifications, locking the phone and placing it back in her pocket with a sigh. 

 

Not tonight.

 

Tonight is Angela’s night.


	6. Chapter 6

The soft and warm confines of her bed was the last place Angela expected to wake up in that next morning, the realization having struck her that Fareeha must have brought her home. A part of her was embarrassed at the idea but also disappointed that she wasn't conscious for Fareeha carrying her home and tucking her into bed. She was very excited to see the written note on her nightstand that next morning with her phone number on it, a simple thing Angela had been meaning to acquire for a while now. 

 

With a way to contact each other they ended up talking a lot more over the past week through texts, something Angela very much appreciated considering that week was a busy one for her. Texting Fareeha during her small breaks was refreshing, and on some days they would share a short lunch together, Fareeha bringing her something to eat because apparently coffee wasn’t enough sustenance to get through a work day. She couldn't help it if food was the last thing on her mind during busy days like those.

 

This week was a lot smoother, however. Angela currently resided at her desk going over one of the many patient files she now had to get through in the next few days. Sure she could have some intern do it but she liked to have knowledge of her patients herself instead of relying on second hand info from the staff. 

 

She had just finished up when she heard the vibrating sound of her phone against her desk. Her lips tugged upwards automatically as she knew it had to be one of two people, and she was certain it wasn't Lena. A quick glance at the lit up screen would prove her correct, a notification for one new message from Fareeha awaits her. Angela unlocks her phone with haste.

 

_ [Fareeha: Are you busy?] _

 

_ [No, whats up?] _

 

_ [Fareeha: Come to the lobby?] _

 

Angela finds herself smiling, an action she found herself doing a lot more often as of late, at the implication of Fareeha being downstairs. After closing her work she stands and stretched with a yawn before pulling her lab coat around her shoulders and heading downstairs. Even though they talk often and have probably seen each other just as often this past week Angela still couldn't help but feel excited about seeing her friend. As soon as she stepped into the lobby her eyes were searching through the various faces for Fareeha's, and she spots her standing a little off to the side most likely to avoid any attention to herself. 

 

Fareeha notices her before she can fully reach her, the guarded expression she wore quickly dissipates into one a lot more friendly. It leaves her with a tingly feeling inside knowing that it was because of the sight of her. 

 

Angela takes note of the paper bag and cup of coffee shes holding in her hands, already knowing they were meant for her. She shakes her head at the gesture, regretting mentioning to her earlier that she didn't have time to stop and get coffee this morning. “I got you your favorite,” she greets her, holding up the items for emphasis.  

 

“I'm never gonna get to use the gift card you got me if you keep buying my coffee for me, Fareeha,” Angela half chastises half jokes as she approaches. Fareeha's grin only widens at the comment as she passes the items off to the doctor. 

 

It was true, though. Fareeha kept buying her coffee for her at whatever chance she got, rendering the gift card obsolete. She hasn't been to Cafe in a while because she's been so busy but Angela was certain Fareeha and Hana were hitting it off a little too well by now. A part of her was a little nervous about what to expect when she did get to go there. 

 

“If you don't get your coffee before work you'll probably never get it since you don't leave the building until your shift is over,” Fareeha replies just as jokingly. 

 

“That is not true! I went out the other day!”

 

“Because I had to physically come and force you out.”

 

“Or maybe I was already planning on going out and I just needed a reason to get you to come along too.” 

 

Her remark was a childish excuse in attempt to prove her innocence, but the look on Fareeha's face said she wasn't buying it at all. 

 

“You and I both know I don't need a reason to go along with you anywhere, Doctor.”

 

It was a simple comment and most likely didn't read as deep as Angela read it, but she ended up tomato red anyway, shying her head down in an attempt to hide her blush. Her face was probably just as heated as the cup of caffeine in her hand. 

 

Once she regained her composure she straightened. “Thank you, Fareeha. You're really too kind. Will I see you for lunch today as well?”

 

The apologetic look on her face answers her question before Fareeha does, and Angela has to admit she feels disappointed at the fact. She had grown much accustomed to the frequent lunches they'd have together in various places from her office to the roof upstairs. Just small moments she spent with her that she came to enjoy greatly. 

 

“I'm actually going to head back home and try and get some rest,” Fareeha says. It's then that Angela actually takes in her appearance and her well trained eyes close in on the beginnings of bags under her eyes tinged with minor redness. How had she let that even slip by her? Yes, she would like to have lunch with the woman but she would much rather she get well rested. 

 

Thoughts of the nightmares Fareeha may be having often came to her and she decides that any chance she had to get rest would be the best course of action for her. She hadn't said anything to her about that night or Fareeha's potential sleeping issues and Fareeha hadn't mentioned anything to her either so Angela left it alone. That didn't mean she wasn't concerned though. “You do look pretty tired. Is everything okay?” 

 

“Don't worry, I'm fine,” Fareeha assures her with a smile. She bids farewell before Angela could press further, the latter making sure to thank her once more for the coffee. 

 

Angela watches her as she leaves, smile on her face as she takes a sip of her coffee. A glance in the bag shows one of her favorite pastries and her smile only widens. Once Fareeha's form is far enough out into the distance she finally turns and heads back to work. 

 

\----

 

In actuality, Fareeha was not fine. A part of her hoped she didn't appear too ‘off’ to Angela but she was beyond exhausted. Lately she could barely stay asleep for more than an hour before waking up, sometimes panicked and out of breath. Going to sleep wasn't that much of an issue, thank goodness. 

 

All week she has been considering taking a job offer from Helix. Something quick and easy, not too far out. It certainly had been a while since the last mission she went on and something was itching her like wild for that feeling again. Her fingers toyed with the phone in her pocket the entire walk back to her bike, but in the end she did end up going home. 

 

She did everything but sleep when she got there though and before long the evening had creeped up on her. It was just around time Lucio should have been getting off work so she decided to surprise him with a ride home. This was how she currently found herself parked outside the establishment, arms crossed in her seat at the wheel and he head dropping downwards. The second she placed the car into park she felt the initial wave of lethargy wash through her and had fallen asleep before she knew it. 

 

It made for an amusing sight when Lucio came out and saw the familiar vehicle parked there. A peek through the tinted windows showing his friend dozed off with the seatbelt still on and all. At least she had the sense to turn the car off. 

 

A part of him figured she must be exhausted and didn't want to wake her up, but he couldn't leave her there like that. With a sigh he knocks on the glass of the passenger side window, the sound immediately jolting her awake. Fareeha took a quick moment to her collect herself and promptly rolled down the window on Lucio’s side, greeting him with a yawn. “Yo.”

 

The first thing Lucio noticed now that the dark tints weren't in the way, was that his best friend looked like shit, the dark circles under her eyes the main culprit. From the looks of it she should be in bed, yet here she was in the middle of the night; driving, no less. What is he going to do with her…

 

“Ree…”

 

“You don’t look too excited for someone about to get a ride home from work,” she says in jest. The yawn that follows shortly after only ticks Lucio off a little more.

 

“That’s because I’m not getting a ride. I’m driving, move over,” he orders as he makes his way around the front of the vehicle to the driver side door, opening it despite the protests of the occupant inside.

 

“What, no way, man.”

 

“Listen, Ree you look like shit. Have you even looked at yourself in the mirror?”

 

Her eyes glance over to the rearview mirror and she frowns at the dark spots and bags under her eyes. He did have a point there. She nods her head in acceptance of Lucio’s claims. “Okay, you make a valid point.”

 

“Move over.”

 

A couple more minor arguments latter and eventually Lucio ended up behind the wheel, driving them both back safely to his place where Fareeha planned to spend the night. No sooner than they pulled off she was already nodding off occasionally in the seat next to his. And here she thought she could drive home… Lucio did very much appreciate the gesture, though. Even if the execution was poor. 

 

Halfway through the drive he's reminded of something he had been meaning to tell Fareeha, distracted by work and other things going on. 

 

“My birthday is coming up,” he starts, just to see if she was even awake, for one. She had resumed her previous position with her arms folded across her chest and eyes closed, but this time she sat straighter and her head wasn't drooping. 

 

“I'm aware,” comes her reply, proving her awoke state.

 

“We're gonna celebrate it at this club downtown, Calaveras. You should come.”

 

Fareeha hummed, eyes still closed. “I'll consider it.” Clubs weren’t exactly her type of place. 

 

“Come on you can use the socialization, Ree. Don’t forget, you do have other friends besides me.”

 

His comment is what made her direct her gaze towards him, eyes narrowed in slight offense. “I socialize quite a lot, thank you.”

 

“Please,” he scoffs. “Myself or your pretty blonde lady hardly counts. When was the last time you even spoke to Aleks? Didn’t you two used to hit the gym like everyday?”

 

Fareeha did smile at the mention of her friend, Aleksandra Zaryanova or Zarya for short. She’d always call Fareeha by her last name despite her protests leading to her reciprocating the act for her as well. They were indeed very close before her mother passed. After that Fareeha was sad to say she hadn’t been the best of people. She certainly messed up a lot of friendships. Yet somehow, even when she was at her worst Lucio still stood by her side. She was always so grateful for him.

 

“All I’m saying is I’d like for you to come, Ree. You can even invite Angela if you want,”

 

Her lips tilted upwards ever so slightly at the sound of the blonde’s name. Lucio didn’t miss it, though, something she questioned briefly since he should be paying more attention to the road. Fareeha thought back to how much Angela had enjoyed that festival and the words she spoke to her that night.

 

_ I don’t really have any close friends other than Lena, so I don’t go out like this at all… _

 

Another night out would probably be nice for her and she could even invite Lena, too.

 

“Alright, alright. I’ll come.”

 

By then they had pulled into the driveway to Lucio’s home. “Thanks, Ree. It means alot to me. Especially since Amelie is flying in to come, too,” he adds quickly, hoping Fareeha wouldn’t really catch it. He should’ve known better, though.

 

“What?! Lucio, you know I can’t stand her...” she groans in annoyance.

 

“Hey, hey, hey. She’s still my friend. And she’s the one paying for all this anyway. You two don’t even have to talk to each other.”

 

With a heavy groan, Fareeha undoes her seatbelt and exits the car. Amelie Guillard was the very last person she ever wanted to have the displeasure of thinking about. Lucio clearly got the hint and left it at that, also exiting the car to unlock the front door. Fareeha removes her shoes at the door and places her jacket on the coat rack before taking a prompt seat on the couch.She glances at the man next to her when she feels the cushions dip besides her. “So tell me, how is your pretty blonde lady?”

 

“Nope. I’m going to bed.” She leans back against the armrest and lifts her legs onto his lap for extra emphasis in proving she wouldn't be playing his games tonight.. “Try again in the morning.”

 

Lucio can only laugh as he pushes her legs off himself to stand. He figured she wouldn't talk about it. He grabs a pillow and blanket from his room before throwing them to the sofa for her. He tells her goodnight and with that he heads to his own room. From her spot on the sofa Fareeha hears the faintest sounds of piano a few moments later, smiling to herself at her best friends musical talent. She knew he was trying to keep the volume down because of her and she half wanted to get up and tell him she wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. She spent most of the night listening to his melodies until eventually silence fell through the home. After that she just lay there with her eyes closed, even though sleep never came. For how long, she wasn't really sure until she feels her phone vibrates in her pocket. She lifts her hips in an effort to retrieve it and her face lights up at the sight of a text from Angela. She unlocks her phone in haste. 

 

_ [Angela: Goodnight, Fareeha. Sleep well.] _

 

Fareeha stares at the message with a smile, quickly typing out a reply.

 

_ [I’ll try. Goodnight, Angela.] _

 

It was a simple message, and just what Fareeha needed to finally ease her way into as much of a slumber as she could muster. She slipped into darkness rather late into the early morning and it didn’t last as long as she hoped it would as she woke up a little too early into the day. She didn’t mind too much. While it was more of a nap that rest, she slept easy with no bad dreams at all, for once. She thought back to Angela’s message and the fact that she was thinking of her enough to wish her a good night. Perhaps the pleasant thought was what kept her nightmares at bay.

 

A few hours later and Lucio finally sauntered out of his room, stretching his arms up into the air. He walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge, looking in it for a bit before swiftly turning around to face Fareeha. She was laying in her same spot, playing some game on her phone. 

 

“You didn't make breakfast,” Lucio’s voice draws her attention.

 

Brown eyes look away from the screen and over into the kitchen. “Excuse me?”

 

“You made Angela breakfast, didn't you?”

 

Fareeha groans, bringing her attention back to her phone. “Lucio, please.” 

 

“It's because I'm not blonde right,” he teases, tossing his head back and running a hand through his loose dreads. “Maybe I should dye it.”

 

“I'll bully you for the rest of your life if you do.”

 

Lucio only laughs at her empty threat as he pours himself a bowl of cereal, some sugary variety with a frog on the cover of the box. It was then Fareeha's phone rang through the room, and judging by the smile on her face Lucio knew exactly who it was. “Speak of the devil. Or should I say angel?”

 

“Shut up, Lucio,” she snaps, lacking very much in hostility, before she opens the text. 

 

_ [Angela: Come by for lunch later?] _

 

_ [Morning. I’d love to. Did you get your coffee today?] _

 

_ [Angela: Great! And Fareeha… What did I tell you] _

 

_ [So then that’s a no. Don’t worry, I’m on it ;) ] _

 

_ [Angela: Noooo] _

 

_ [Do you want a pastry or a cake today?] _

 

_ [Angela: You don’t have to do this, you know… (Pastry, please) ] _

 

_ [Mhmm. I’ll see you soon~] _

 

Fareeha, so into her texting, doesn't even notice Lucio creeping around with his bowl of cereal until he plops down on the sofa with her. She could already feel the conversation he was about to start. The day barely started and it was already the topic of the day. But when she sat in anticipation for much longer than she thought she’d have to, Fareeha looked over to her friend in confusion. “You’re not going to play 100 questions?”

 

“Nope.” He takes another spoonful of cereal.

 

“Really.”

 

“I don’t have to. Your dorky looking face answered it all.” Fareeha turns away in embarrassment, burying her face in her hands. “But it’s not a bad look on you,” he continues, catching her attention again, before he gets up to put his dish in the sink. He leaves it at that as he washes the bowl in the sink. Fareeha excuses herself to head home for a quick shower and to change before she went to the hospital, none of which Lucio minded at all. How long has it been since he’s seen an expression of such pure happiness on her face? Sadly, much too long.

 

Before Fareeha leaves out the door she turns and promises him she’ll make him breakfast next time, something he’ll definitely hold her to.

 

\----

 

Fareeha made it home and changed in record time, swapping her car out for her bike to save time. When she made it to the hospital, coffee and pastry in hand, Angela messaged her to just come up to her office. She made sure to fix the aviator glasses on her face to hide her still droopy eyes. She knew the doctor wouldn’t approve and would most likely feel bad for asking her to come by if she wasn’t well rested. One more reason why she’d been trying to keep her lack of sleep as of late to herself.

 

Soon enough she found herself outside the door, knocking lightly to announce her arrival. When the door opens and a frown is what she finds greeting her instead of the vibrant smile she was hoping for, Fareeha already knew her cover was blown.

 

“You didn’t sleep last night, did you…”

 

She should’ve known she wouldn’t be able to get one over Angela. 

 

Fareeha gives her an apologetic smile as she enters, Angela closing the door behind her. With a sigh she places the coffee on a nearby table. Immediately, hands were on her face turning her head left and right before settling on her glasses. Her fingers toy with the handles and Fareeha couldn’t be more glad for the dark shades hiding her eyes. She began to heat up from the contact even though she knew it was entirely professional, a doctor’s hands and nothing more. “I… I did, actually, but not for very long.”

 

The hands on her face paused in their movements before disappearing completely. “This happens often doesn’t it?” 

 

Fareeha nods, smiling faintly. Forgetting the coffee, Angela grabs her hand and guides her to the futon. It was one of her favorite additions to her office, allowing her to take small naps on her breaks when she needs to. She sits them both down on a slight angle facing each other before finally reaching for the sunglasses. Her hands pause on the handles as if waiting for the confirmation Fareeha gives her with the slightest of nods. When she removes them, placing them on the coffee table in front of them, she could see the exhaustion as made present by the red in her eyes and the beginnings of dark circles. 

 

“Is it nightmares?”

 

“Something like that. I’d rather not talk about it, though...”

 

Angela respects her wishes, even though she wants to help. She begins to think she should’ve pressed on it more the other morning when she noticed the signs. She should’ve figured her friend was having sleeping issues. If the first time they slept over and she saw her discomfort while on the sofa. It was a clear sign of nightmares. If that wasn’t enough, her lack of sleep definitely explained her quick responses to her texts no matter the hour of the night. It’s been weeks since then and the thought that she hasn’t been sleeping well since only urged her desire to help. Her mind went to how much more peaceful Fareeha had looked that night when she had touched her, and while it might be a long shot she did think of an idea. 

 

“Can I try something?”

 

Her head cocked to the side and she looked on questioningly but ended up agreeing anyways, knowing she could really say no to Angela. The moment she felt slender hands guiding her down so that her head lay in her lap, however, she instantly found herself regretting her decision.   

 

The heat was rising in her face. “Uhm… Angela?”

 

“Shhh. Just get comfortable,” replies the blonde with a reassuring smile. “My mother used to do this when I couldn’t sleep.”

 

It took a little bit of squirming and inching around but eventually they were both settled. Angela was seated normally and Fareeha sat a few inches off so that her head lay on Angela’s lap. Though she didn’t want to admit, she already felt the position was a lot more comfortable than she expected. A part of her wished she wasn’t so tall or that the futon was longer so her legs could fit. She let out a content sigh when she felt begin fingers run through her hair and without realizing it she was nuzzling even further into her faux pillow that was Angela’s thighs.

 

“This isn’t too much is it?” Angela asks suddenly, the hand weaving through dark locks paused in its ministrations. She realized she should have asked first instead of just helping herself.

 

“No, it’s great.” Fareeha smiles when she continues again, another sigh escaping from her lips. They sit like that for a while during which Angela simply admires how soft Fareeha’s hair is, enjoying the feeling of it through her fingers. “This is great,” she repeats in a light whisper mixed with a bit of sleep.

 

Before long the quiet sound of her breathing grew steady as she has fallen into a peaceful sleep. 


	7. Chapter 7

“No.”

“Come on, Ree, don’t be like that.”

“I said no, Lucio,” Fareeha states again, slight annoyance hidden in her tone.

They were all sitting at a table in ‘The First Square’, the restaurant Lucio worked at. The three of them had agreed to have lunch together. Lucio had been trying to convince Fareeha to drive him to the airport to pick up Amelie for days now and her answer still hadn’t changed. She didn’t want anything to do with Amelie. She didn’t know if he thought having Angela here would change her answer, but she was sad to say that he would have been wrong to think that. “With all that money of hers she could just take a taxi. A limousine if she really wanted to be fancy.”

Sitting besides her Angela frowns into her meal, unsure why Fareeha held so much animosity towards this person. Noticing her get a little pensive into her own food, Angela gave her a light nudge with her leg. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

She frowned at the reply, not expecting a complete and total shutdown. A silence sat over them as they ate their meals, during which Angela took in the change of Fareeha’s demeanor as of late. She seemed down and moody, even during the time they spent together—despite how much she tried to hide it. Angela could see Lucio was disappointed Fareeha wouldn’t go with him. The drive to the airport wasn’t a short one. It wouldn’t be a very joyful ride to take by oneself. She wanted to do something to help but she wasn’t quite sure what that something could be. Eventually, Lucio tried to bargain with her again, and Angela who was tired of their bickering came up with a solution on her own. “I’ll go with you, Lucio,” she spoke up. Both of them looked at her then, Lucio with excitement and Fareeha with a sort of betrayed surprise. “You can drive, right? If you drive up there, I’ll accompany you for the ride. I have the day off tomorrow, too.”

“You’d do that for me, Angela?”

“Of course, that’s what friends are for.” She flashed him a friendly smile.

Surely, if Fareeha knew she would be going, she would be tempted to go as well; or at least that was Angela’s plan. With all the time they've spent together and all the different occasions where Fareeha accompanied her in her errands, Angela was certain this would change her mind about going. Which was why she was shocked when the chair besides her scraped against the floor as it was pushed out, and Fareeha stood up to leave the table.

Both Lucio and Angela looked up at the woman as she left from the table, the latter getting up to follow her after giving Lucio a worried look. She found her in the bathroom hunched over the sink. She barely noticed the motion of her slipping her phone back into her pants pocket.

Angela stood near the doorway in an attempt to give Fareeha space. She cleared her throat a little before she spoke, “Hey.”

“...Hey.”

Angela smiled faintly at the reply, though Fareeha remained unmoved from her spot. “You okay?”

A sigh. “Yeah. I just came to put some water on my face.”

There was more to it than that, but Angela decided to go along with it anyway. “Did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.”

At that, Fareeha looked up from the sink to the blonde. Grabbing a nearby paper towel she patted her face dry and made her way to where Angela stood. She gave her the best thing akin to a smile that she could give her, a hand resting lightly on her shoulder. “It's not you, Angela. It’s never you.”

Angela looked her in her eyes as she spoke those words. She knew for certain they rang true. “I won’t go tomorrow if you don’t want me to.”

“No, go. Keep Lucio company for me,” Fareeha reassured her. “I think I just need some time to myself,” she addedA after Angela’s doubtful look.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive, Doctor.” Her tone was teasing, a sign that she wasn’t feeling too bad but also a hint that Angela was slipping into her caregiver persona. “You have fun tomorrow. I’ll catch you around some other day.”

 

* * *

 

Angela was still doubtful about Fareeha and her current state of being, but either way she found herself waiting outside her apartment building the next morning. It wasn’t long before Lucio pulled up in Fareeha’s slick sports car and they were heading off to the airport.

“Thanks again for coming with me, Angela. I really appreciate it.”

The blonde turned her gaze from the rapidly passing scenery to the man besides her with a smile. “Of course. It would suck to drive for such a long ride alone. I’m more than glad to keep you company,” she says. “Though, I was hoping by agreeing to come, myself, it would have convinced Fareeha to join us.”

“I had hopes too. But if you couldn’t get her to come then nothing would have,” he laughed. “I’ve known ‘Ree enough to know when her mind is made up on something. I just figured throwing you into the mix might change things up a bit. Not to sound rude or anything,” he added, upon realizing that might not have sounded right. “but she’s changed since she met you.”

Angela smiled. “No offense taken. How long have you known Fareeha?”

Time flew by as Lucio told Angela all about his and Fareeha’s friendship, how they met, and so on. Apparently they’ve known each other since childhood, having grown up together when Fareeha moved into the city with her mother. They went to the same school and had been through so much together. Angela couldn’t help but smile as Lucio spoke of their friendship. From his voice you could tell how much he loved Fareeha as a friend, perhaps even as much as a sister. They were basically family at this point. His friendship with Fareeha reminded her a lot of her friendship with Lena, who she has also known for quite a long time.

A question came to her once he finished his story, and Angela had to pause and consider whether it was something she should really be asking about. Lucio seemed very laid back, though, so she was doubtful he would think she was prying or anything.  

“So you’re also friends with Amelie then? Do you know why Fareeha doesn’t like her so much?”

He sighed, shaking his head. “I’m not sure what happened between those two. Neither of them will tell me anything,” he admitted. Angela was disappointed, but she didn’t ask further until Lucio spoke again. “We were all very good friends. There was a whole group of us before we slowly drifted apart. Everyone should be coming to my party so you’ll get a chance to meet them all. Ironically enough, Fareeha was something of the center of it all. She held us all together.” He chuckled to himself at the memory. “Well, anyway, Fareeha and Amelie were really close, too. Closer than me or anyone else, for sure. They were practically sisters. But…” he paused and took a deep breath, and Angela could feel the sorrow in his next words. “Things changed when Ana passed away.”

“Ana?” The name was unfamiliar to Angela.

“Oh, so she hasn’t told you. Well, I guess it’s not something she would want to really bring up… Fareeha’s mother,” he clarified.  

“Oh.”

Suddenly, she was starting to feel as if this was perhaps something Fareeha should be telling her about herself. She didn’t want to delve too deep into her personal business and learn something Fareeha didn’t want her to know, but she also wondered why Fareeha never brought up any of this stuff with her not even once out of all the time they’ve spent together.

“Don’t think about it too hard. She’ll open up to you eventually.”

For the rest of the trip they talked about Angela’s very first meeting with Fareeha, putting together their own pieces of that night together like some sort of puzzle. Lucio filled her in on the story before Fareeha had sat at her table and Angela told him what had happened after they left. Lucio said he’d make sure to tease Fareeha about it at some point.

Before long they were at the airport, waiting near baggage claim for their guest. Angela bathed somewhat in the commotion of the place. It was somewhat reminiscent to the hospital, as busy as it was. “She should be coming out of there any minute now,” Lucio informed her, looking over to the sea of people emerging from a particular passageway. “Hey, I think I see her! Amelie!”

Angela looked into the crowd for the person responding to the called name. A slim, tall woman dressed in casual jeans, a blouse, and a light jacket waved back at them, and as she got closer Angela couldn’t help but gape at the woman’s beauty. Though Angela wore her own jeans and blouse, she somehow felt incredibly inferior to the woman walking towards them with power in her strides as she quickly closed the distance.

“Lucio Correia! It’s been far too long!” the woman greeted him.

Angela watched as the taller woman neglected her bags to pull the man into a hug, literally lifting him and twirling him around as she joked about how much he has grown, despite his grumbling and complaining groans of ‘Ames, please, no’. From the sound of it, this used to be a regular occurrence.

Eventually, she complied with his complaints. Putting him down, she kissed both his cheeks in greeting, holding him at arm's length with a smile. “Ah, how I’ve missed you, you small man! Do you still play your music? I can’t wait for you to tell me everything,” she exclaimed. It was then that she seemed to notice Angela standing a ways from them both. Her hands fiddled together at her front as she awkwardly watched their greetings play out. “And who is this lovely lady we have here?”

With the attention now on her Angela could feel her nervousness coming on, inhibiting her from speaking a word. Up close Amelie was nearly as tall as Fareeha. What she thought had been jet black hair was actually a deep purple. Angela was struck with awe, still, at how stunning she was. The whole time her mind could only really think one thing:

_So, this is Amelie._

“Ames, this is my friend Angela. Angela this is Amelie,” Lucio introduced them.

“Amelie Guillard,” she greeted properly, offering Angela her hand.

Angela accepted; Amelie’s grip was firm and strong, she noted. “Angela Ziegler, nice to meet you, Amelie.”

Amelie smiled at her. “Ziegler,” the name rolled off her tongue, “A powerful name,” she mused aloud. Her words reminded Angela of her first time meeting Fareeha. “Lucio, how did you come to befriend such a gorgeous woman?”

He laughed out a sarcastic ‘ha ha’ at her teasing. “I actually met Angela through Fareeha. She’s a very good friend of hers.”

“Fareeha?” Her tone changed briefly when she spoke the name, laced with just a hint of what Angela could only describe as worry… regret. “You’re still in contact with her? How is she these days?” From her reaction, Angela doubted that the woman before her felt any type of disliking towards Fareeha. It only further fueled her desire to know why Fareeha seemed so adverse to her.

“We have a long ride back home, so why don’t we talk about it the ride back?”

After gathering the rest of Amelie’s belongings from baggage claim, during which Lucio complained about all her bags for such a short visit, the trio were back on the road for the drive home. Angela opted to sit in the back seat so the two could converse move comfortably. Lucio filled Amelie in on his life, from his work at The First Square to how his music has been coming along. Then, he finally filled her in a little on Fareeha and how he’s been trying to keep her out of trouble all the while. As quiet as she had been, Angela knew the conversation would be brought to her soon enough.

“And what’s your story? How did you get mixed up in the foolery of these two?” Amelie asked her.

For the second time within the the span of a few hours she embarrassingly told the story of their impromptu date and how it lead her to their budding friendship. A day hadn’t gone by where Angela didn’t speak with Fareeha, be it by text, phone, or in person. A part of her wished that she would have come with her and Lucio; that she was sitting in the empty seat next to her. “I had wanted Fareeha to come with us,” Angela started. “—well, we both did,” she corrected herself, gesturing to Lucio.

“I wouldn’t have expected Fareeha to be here. She’s probably not too thrilled about my appearance.”

Angela wanted to know what Fareeha held against this woman, who didn’t seem to be the least bit distasteful at all. When she told her story Amelie’s face went from broad smiles to sorrowful frowns, and Angela knew there was so much more to all of this than she could probably imagine. The fact that this was the person who had Fareeha all moody and irritated was beginning to irritate Angela, herself. She didn’t like seeing Fareeha so bothered.

“Why?” she asked. It was a thought she had accidentally spoken out loud, so there was no going back now. “What happened between you both? If you don't mind me asking, that is…”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to get into the specifics, at least not right now. But Fareeha has every right to be upset with me.” The French woman sighed heavily, turning her gaze out the tinted windows to stare at the passing scenery. “I was a coward back then. I failed Ana and then I failed her daughter shortly after, when they were nothing but good to me from the very beginning.”

Despite Angela’s desire to inquire more about the matter, after listening to Amelie’s vague explanation they quickly changed topics, noting the somber mood that was beginning to smother the small interior of the car. In an attempt to brighten things up they had stopped for lunch as soon as they got back to the city. Amelie had expressed her hunger considering her long plane ride, and Angela was actually growing a little hungry herself. They chose a nice restaurant, a little bit on the fancy side for Angela’s taste. The menu items were rather pricey as well, but Amelie made it clear not to worry about it. Her and Lucio had a lot of catching up to do, filling each other in on the happenings of their lives over the past years. Angela chimed in when she could, but as someone who was still rather new to the circle a lot of what they talked about went over her head. Of course, the conversation eventually lead to Angela’s work, and her face grew red with embarrassment from all the praise. Overall, she had a great time. Lucio and Amelie were wonderful company and hanging out with them was refreshing, but a part of her still wished Fareeha was there with her.

After the meal Amelie stated that she should get to her hotel to get some rest. It was still early, but she was probably just starting to feel the jet lag. They dropped Angela off at her house first, as it was beginning to get late and she did have work tomorrow morning. She was standing on the sidewalk, peering in through the opened windows as they gave their goodbyes. Lucio expressed his gratitude once more for joining him for the day, but Angela waved him off with a smile. “I told you, you don’t have to thank me. If anything I should be thanking you both for such an eventful day,” she told him. “I really enjoyed myself.”

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Angela,” Amelie told her. “I’ll see you again soon, yes?”

“Sure, of course.”

The first thing Angela did when she got into her apartment was check her cell for any messages or missed calls. She had switched her phone into silent mode throughout the day to be courteous. Her face wilted upon finding only a few notifications from pointless apps she kept forgetting to delete. The day was almost over and she hadn’t heard a single word from Fareeha. Almost instinctively her fingers moved to open their text chat before hovering over the keys, contemplating whether she should send something or not. Fareeha had said she just needed some time to herself. Maybe that included texts too?

Deciding not to think over it too hard, Angela went about her usual before bed routine and quickly forgot about the whole ordeal. An hour or so later when everything was finished and she was ready for bed did she dare look at her phone again. This time, though, her expression bloomed into a broad smile as she glanced the unread message notification:

_[Fareeha: Hope you had a good time today.]_

It was a simple message, but it filled Angela with a warmth only Fareeha could make her feel— and through a text message, at that. She read it over again a couple more times before her brain wracked with a good enough response.  

 _[I had a wonderful time! Thanks for checking up on me.]_ She sent it, wondering whether she would get a reply or not. The longer the minutes passed by and nothing came in, the more she was urged to send something else. Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard until finally she gave in and typed out a few words. [ _Will I see you tomorrow?]_

With the deed done, Angela hastily put the phone down and burried her face into her pillows. The feeling of anticipation for a reply had her heart racing, and she couldn’t help but feel a little silly over it all. A vibration against her sheets pulls her head up, and she stared at the offending device for a bit before taking it in her hands.

_[Fareeha: Maybe not tomorrow, sorry]_

She had to admit, she was disappointed by the reply. Like a sinking feeling in her chest, disappointment washed over her. She understood, though, because Fareeha had made it clear she needed time to herself, so the outcome surely wasn’t unexpected. With Lucio’s party approaching, she was certain she would see her again soon.

_[It’s okay. I’ll see you another time. Goodnight]_

 

* * *

 

For her afternoon lunch break the next day, Angela still couldn’t help but wish Fareeha would surprise her anyway. Even though, the chances were slim, she still had hope as she made her way down on the elevator. That Fareeha would be standing off in her usual spot, waiting to accompany her for lunch. What she wasn’t expecting was to find Amelie waiting for her downstairs, instead, a brown shopping bag in hand. She had told Angela she would be seeing her again soon, but she had no idea it would be this soon.

“Angela, hey! I brought you some lunch,” Amelie greeted her. “I was hoping we could have a little chat if it’s not too much to ask.”

A few minutes later and they both found themselves at one of the tables of the hospitals courtyard. It was a nice day so Angela didn’t really want to stay indoors if she could help it. Amelie had bought a full course meal by the looks of it, as Angela watched her remove the contents from the paper bag. Amelie had gotten it from a nearby restaurant where she supposedly just ordered a couple of things from the lunch menu. Angela hadn’t realized she was so hungry until she both heard and felt her stomach rumbling at the sight of the food, and only began eating at Amelie’s urging to help herself to whatever she liked.

They had engaged in small talk here and there, but it wasn’t until they both ate their fill that Amelie finally came out with what she wanted to talk about. “I want to tell you the story of how we met, Fareeha and I. I’ve never told anyone this before, not even our closest friends.”

At the revelation, Angela’s eyes widened slightly. It was true she had been curious about the relationship between the two, but she didn’t expect Amelie would tell her about it so soon. “Are you sure you want to tell me? We only just met.”

The woman shook her head, smile on her face. It was evident that despite their extremely brief time together, something had compelled her to place her trust in Angela. “I’ve never been more sure.”

Amelie told her then the story of how her and Fareeha had met, rescued by Fareeha’s mother, Ana, from her life as a child soldier. She was deadly with a sniper rifle, and had actually taken Ana’s eye in battle. She thought it ironic that Ana would be the one to save her at the end of it all. The elder Amari had taken her into her home and treated her like family, helping her get through school and do her best to live a normal life. “She treated me like a daughter, even after what I had taken from her,” she told Angela, caught up in waves of nostalgia as she looked back. “She would wear an eyepatch, to cover the wound. I used to hate looking at it. It reminded me of the pain I had caused her, even though she assured me she felt none.” Angela could only listen on, unsure what to say or if she should even say anything at all. “And Fareeha… Fareeha treated me like a sister. She was my closest friend.”

“Then what happened?” Angela covered her mouth after she spoke, the question rolling off her tongue before she could even think about it. Amelie didn’t seem to mind at all, though. She took a brief pause before she continued.

“I abandoned her.”

Her new life had been great, but still Amelie couldn’t ignore the itch she had to go out and fight. It was as if it was ingrained in her soul. It was clear Ana knew. She was born into the field, so into it she would return. And even Ana couldn’t deny she was amazing shot with a rifle. As soon as she was of age she begged Ana to let her join the military with her; to fight for a good cause this time. Even though she was  met with opposition, eventually Ana caved in. She was a natural, breezing through all her training to the point where she worked directly besides Ana, herself. “I had wanted to get back out there so bad. I was so focused on myself, I wasn’t even thinking about Fareeha. She began to harbor feelings against me, because I was gone so often just like her mother was. It didn’t help that we had gotten into arguments as well, over her own decision to join the military, a decision both Ana and I heavily opposed. She had already been upset with me for leaving her, but it only got worse once I sided with her mother.

“Ultimately, I guess her words that day struck me a little too deep. They stuck with me, even during an important mission I had been on.” She looked at Angela then, and though it was brief, the blonde spotted the tears that pooled near her eyes. “That was her last mission, Angela. It was Ana Amari’s last mission. All because I wasn’t focused enough. If only I had been—” Angela reached across the table to place a hand over hers, stopping her words. Amelie was thankful for the action, as there was no point to dwell on the past. “When her mother died, I couldn’t face Fareeha again. Not after all of that. So I left. I was a coward who ran away. I didn’t even attend the funeral, Angela. Fareha has every right to hate me.”

They had spent so much time talking that they had long since went past Angela’s scheduled lunch break. Neither of them even noticed until Angela’s pager started going off. Internally she cursed whoever it was that was summoning her. There was so much more she knew Amelie had to say and there were things she wanted to say to her; words of comfort that she might not have gotten to hear back then. Even more than that she wanted to reach over and just hug her to death.

“It’s fine, Angela. Duty calls, right?” Amelie said, visibly noticing Angela’s internal struggle. “I think I’ve gotten my point across, anyway.” She stood then, collecting her bag and placing it over her shoulder, She walked over to where Angela sat, still feeling a little overwhelmed about everything that seemed to be happening way too fast. “Thank you,” Amelie told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for being there for her. She desperately needed an anchor, and I’m positive you’re it.”

With that she left, not even bothering to wait for a reply.

Amelie’s story was emotional, compelling, and pulled at every string connected to Angela’s heart. It amazed her how all of that had shaped the woman that had sat before her. She would have never believed that she had endured so much had she heard it from anyone else. Her eyes had been full with tears at her story, occasionally spilling over onto the table. When she had wanted to hear the story of what had happened between her and Fareeha, none of that was what she had expected to hear. It left her at work constantly thinking about Amelie’s words, thinking about how she must have felt, about how Fareeha must have felt. It was all so, so complicated.

On her way home from work, it was still heavy on her mind. Now that she knew this, she had a strong desire to go see Fareeha. She shouldn’t be alone. Someone should be comforting her. Even though she knew it was a long shot, she had pulled out her phone and sent her a quick text asking if it was okay if she stopped by. Angela stood in place waiting for a little over ten minutes before she was ready to give up and accept that Fareeha just needed her space, when the screen in her hands finally lit up. It was a message containing Fareeha’s address. It was then she realized she had never actually been to Fareeha’s home. They had always spent their time together elsewhere. The thought of entering Fareeha’s house for the first time suddenly had wave of nervousness washing over her.

It didn’t take too long to walk there. It was a small building, what looked to be a walk up from the outside. Fareeha’s bike was parked out front and Angela took a moment to look over it before heading inside. As expected, it was a walk up, and of course Fareeha lived on the top most floor. Angela was slightly out of breath when she finally reached the top, exhausted from a long day at work and the anxiousness dwelling inside of her. All that nervousness from earlier hit her full force in a wait that felt like forever before the door finally swung open.

 

* * *

 

_Knock, knock, knock._

That was Angela.

From the moment she had gotten Angela’s text message, Fareeha had anxiously been anticipating her arrival. She took the time to clean both herself and her apartment up a little bit, as not to look like a slob for Angela’s first impression of her home. The past couple of days she had spent just thinking about things, from Lucio’s upcoming birthday party and coming face to face with people she hadn’t seen in years to dealing with the sudden wave of emotions she felt towards Amelie’s arrival. She couldn’t have picked a better time to want to show up in her life again, either. Right when _her_ anniversary was coming up. Amelie’s arrival brought back an array of feelings and emotions that she just didn’t need right now. She felt so overwhelmed.

Fareeha sighed and stood up from her bed, making her way to the door. She was nervous, but still excited to see Angela. Especially considering her absence yesterday. While she didn’t want to admit it, she had been feeling lonely. She had chosen to have time alone to herself; it's what she always did when she was feeling down. This time, she had wished so much that someone was there by her side.

When she opened the door, she could tell immediately something was off. Just by looking into Angela’s eyes Fareeha could tell she knew something. Amelie had told her something. Her eyes were so sorrowful, looking up into her own. Looking into them reflected that sadness onto her—or maybe it made her see her own inner grief. Either way, they were the trigger that made her break. Before the first tear could even hit the ground, arms were around her. Angela’s arms, a comforting weight around her as her hands soothed circles over her back. Something about her touch was so warm. It was a warmth Fareeha felt radiating right within her core that sent a tingling sensation throughout her body.

Angela’s arms around her, the hand on her back, the one in her hair combing her scalp; it all felt perfect. Fareeha held her back just as tight, resting her head on Angela’s shoulder as the waterworks intensified and small sobs escaped her. How long had it been since she last cried? How long had it been since she let out everything she had been keeping bottled up inside? How long had it been since someone held her?

Too long. So long that everything in that moment was therapeutic on a level she hadn’t thought possible. With slow steps, she was guided further into her apartment towards where she believed her sofa was. Angela sat them both down. Her arms never left from around her, something Fareeha was glad for.

“You know you can tell me anything, right, Fareeha?” Angela asked her once the tears and cries had stopped and they remained unmoving, settled on the sofa. She kept Fareeha in her hold, close to her side, head resting on her shoulder. She continued running her fingers through dark locks, massaging her scalp. It was an all too easy position to fall asleep in, really.

“I know,” she mumbled into her shoulder.

“Then talk to me sometime? Please? We’ve grown so close but I feel like I don’t know you at all. You can open up to me, you know.”

Something about those words made her realize something. She sat up straight, regrettably separating from the arms over her. Angela was right. It wasn’t intentional, but she had kept herself closed off these past few years. If there anyone she could open up to it would be Angela. With a quiet “be right back,” Fareeha excused herself as she made her way to her room. She returned shortly after, a picture frame in her hands as she sat in her seat. If she was going to have this talk to Angela, she was going to start with the most important part.

“This is my mother, Ana Amari.”

 

* * *

 

It was late by the time Angela finally left. They had spent so long talking. Fareeha told her all about her mother and her mother’s death. About Amelie and how close they were. About how much it hurt when she left too. It was refreshing. Telling Angela all of those things felt more invigorating than Fareeha could have imagined. She felt a lot lighter afterwards, like she had let go of a weight constantly pushing her down. She had Angela to thank for that. All the “thank you’s” she told her afterwards would never be enough to show her appreciation.

Unfortunately, Angela had declined her offer to take her home, even despite how late it was. She had reassured Fareeha that she would be fine going home on her own and that she would text her as soon as she got there. Fareeha was hesitant watching her leave and had even walked her downstairs just in case she changed her mind, but she was set on her decision. Already outside, she had a sudden itch to go somewhere; somewhere in particular. Without thinking about it she had hopped onto her bike and drove off in a direction she knew like the back of her hand.

When she arrived at her destination she noticed two things: One, was that Angela had (thankfully) texted her that she got home safe and with no troubles. Two, was that her car, which Lucio had yet to return, was parked there. After acknowledging Angela and wishing her a goodnight, Fareeha looked out over the vast expanse of the cemetery grounds. There was only one other person she could think of that would bother coming here at this time of night. As she leisurely made her way up the familiar hills leading to her mother’s grave, her suspicions were confirmed at the sight of the tall woman standing at the grave, dressed in a long overcoat and heels. The long ponytail that trailed behind her was a dead giveaway. Something in her was content to know she had kept her hair long.

The closer she got to her— to _them_ , the more she slowed down until she came to a halt, unsure whether she should get closer or not. She dare say she was afraid. Afraid to confront that which has been the forefront of her thoughts as of lately. Even with the reassuring talk she had with Angela. Fareeha started to think that maybe this was a bad idea—coming here was a bad idea. She should go home. She was just starting to turn around when she heard her speak.

“Fareeha.”

She was calling her over. Now that she knew she was there, it wasn’t like Fareeha could do much else. She took a deep breath and reflected back on the words she exchanged with Angela, the advice and input she gave her. Talking about it with Angela was different. It helped her realize how much sadness she had been holding onto. Now, though, standing there before her, she could only be reminded of how much anger she held for this woman.

“Amelie,” she said, somewhat in greeting, as she came to stand beside her. She kept her gaze fixed on Ana’s tombstone and the rifle rested there. It was cleaned recently, she noted. Amelie must have done it.

“I hope you don’t mind I borrowed your car.”

She nodded, not really expecting that to be her first choice of words. She wasn’t even sure if Amelie was looking at her or not. Her own gaze remained glued to its spot on the tombstone. “It’s fine.”

“I spoke with Angela earlier.”

“I know.”

“It was earlier on, but I had a sudden urge to come here. What are the odds you would come too, right?” She laughed. It was short, nothing more than a ‘haha’, but Fareeha knew it was  filled with nervousness. She was nervous, too. “I’m certain this is of Ana’s doing. Even from the grave I know she's working her magic.”

That was a statement Fareeha could agree with. She never doubted that her mother was pulling all sorts of strings from behind the curtains. It wasn’t a coincidence that brought them both here. It was amusing to know her mother was watching over her to the point where she would pull off something like this. “Yeah. This does look like her handy work, doesn’t it,” Fareeha mused aloud. She still refused to look up at her. Neither of them were saying anything, and the silence was beginning to get to Fareeha. Her fingers toyed with the keys in her pocket in a desperate attempt to calm herself.

“I understand if you won’t forgive me,” Amelie started. This was the moment Fareeha had been waiting for. “But, I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving you. Your mother did so much for me. She trusted me...” Something about her words irked her, but she listened on regardless. “ _You_ did so much for me… and look how I repaid you both.” Fareeha noticed her hands clenching out of the corner of her eye. “I regretted that decision every day for a long time.”

“Why did you do it then? Why did you leave?”

“I was afraid.”

Fareeha’s hands tightened in her pockets. “And I wasn’t?”

“I failed your mother that day. She did so much for me, and I couldn’t even have her back when it counted most. How could I have returned to you knowing there was something I could have done?”

Amelie’s word choice once again bothering her, Fareeha turned to the woman next to her. She wasn’t looking at her. She was looking far off into the distance. Though she made no sound of it, she was crying. Her eyes were filled with tears. The sight cooled down the anger and irritation Fareeha held, and her brows knit in confliction at what she was feeling. Amidst it all, Angela’s words from when they spoke were clearest in her mind.

_“I know it might not seem like it, but she misses you a lot. I can kinda just tell. She still cares about you deeply, Fareeha. If at the very least, give her a chance?”_

Fareeha’s gaze, which just a few seconds ago was anywhere but the woman, was now fixed to her face. Every time Amelie blinked more tears fell. Fareeha followed the trail of one as it slid down her face and inevitably into the grass. She had never seen Amelie cry in all their years growing up together. Seeing it now brought back the memory of the day her mother first introduced them to each other. Fareeha had been opposed at first, as Amelie was older than her and had looked mean, but her mom had told her that she needed someone to watch over her. She told Fareeha to always watch over her no matter what. To treat her like a sister.

All of a sudden, it wasn’t so hard to see why Ana took Amelie in.

“Look at me.”

The order came out of nowhere. It even shocked Fareeha, herself; the tone was reminiscent of her mother’s. Amelie heard it, too, if the way she flinched was any proof. When she still didn’t turn to her, Fareeha repeated it again, albeit with much more conviction. That time, Amelie turned, tear brimmed eyes staring into brown. “She was your mother, too. Stop talking like she didn’t raise both of us… You were her daughter just as much as I was. She watches over you just as often as she was watches over me, I’m sure. The choices you’ve made wouldn’t make her think any less of you.”

With that Fareeha turned away, face heated as her eyes burned holes into the ground below her. She had meant every word she spoke, and maybe that's why she felt so embarrassed for having said them. They came from her heart.

A hand was rested on her head, heavy enough that it bobbed down from the weight. Fareeh scowled at the action, even deeper when it began ruffling through her hair. It was a gesture that went way back to their childhood. Fareeha hated when Amelie would do it. She would slap her hand away in a heartbeat back then. Now? She didn’t mind it too much.

“You’ve grown up so much.”

“I wasn’t going to stay small forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been out for a while, and had actually given up on this particular fic. But I'm hoping with this, I can make something of a comeback.  
> Thanks for reading~

**Author's Note:**

> And there it is, the beginning of my writing life. Thanks to my fabulous Senpai for setting a good example for me to live by.


End file.
